Podcast recorded live, January 3, 2020, Lincoln, Nebraska Season 2 premiere episode! The Advisors Network provides visitors unprecedented access to masters of their industry who can help transform any organization. For this podcast, we had the joy of hosting a panel of a few advisors with us during our semi-annual meeting. With their expertise on show, we asked them about what a talent-based organization is — from the time one commits to the journey to what the leader of the future looks like. If you would like to request an advisor to help you with your business growth, speak at a conference, deliver coaching sessions and much more, visit the Advisors Network today.

Wellness has been a hot topic in the human capital industry. Companies are continuously refining their efforts of creating wellness programs for their employees, and companies who don’t have a program already established, are quickly jumping on the bandwagon. Wellness looks different for every individual, as well as every organization, but one thing that holds true is creating wellness initiatives pays off for both the employee and the company. I have Mitch Scheuler with me today. Mitch is a Business Consultant at Talent Plus and works to grow client partnerships. He also co-leads the wellbeing team at Talent Plus, which encourages wellness awareness among colleagues with resources and activities. Today we’ll talk about wellness, fitness and how that impacts the workplace Topics:

Your people are your greatest asset. We often discuss HR departments in the context of large companies, which create a human capital strategy that pushes their business forward by leveraging their people. For small businesses, a human capital strategy is equally as important, even if it may not be top of mind very often. Jason Chambers and Todd Hauser, senior business consultant and senior technology solutions consultant here at Talent Plus, discuss how small businesses can and should create a strategy around selecting and developing their people with host Tiffany Pires. Topics What are some of the trends you are seeing in small business, or what are some of the struggles you’re seeing small businesses face when it comes to managing people? What are some ways that small business can start creating a human capital strategy, if they don’t have one already, or transform their current human capital strategy?

Mark Epp has spent the last 15 years at Talent Plus providing coaching and management strategies to leaders in several industries and large organizations. A true subject-matter expert in strengths-based management, he explores how focusing and developing strengths in employees can yield far better results in all key metrics than the traditional management strategies focusing on developing weaknesses.

In previous episodes, we’ve talked about the importance of creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. It has been proven to create a competitive advantage by increasing organizations’ financial performance, innovation and workplace culture. This episode, we’ll talk about diversity — specifically in leadership positions — and how C-suites are not often representative of their respective populations. Dr. Scott Whiteford is a Leadership Consultant and Engagement Lead at Talent Plus ®. He leads clients, across multiple industries, in strategy and engagement.

Recent innovations could also improve HR decisions, especially for recruiting and hiring. With the all the buzz surrounding AI, companies must first understand what it is, how they can use it, and the benefits and drawbacks of using AI to make decisions. Dr. Brett Wells is the Chief Research and Consulting Officer at Talent Plus who oversees a team of research analysts collaborating with over 400 world-class quality-growth clients. Making sense of rich and complicated data, he works with clients to plan, develop and execute strategy, laying the foundation for success through trusted partnerships and analytics.

Workplaces are continuously evolving, and one of the most important aspects of a workplace is its culture. As it turns out, culture has many definitions and influences. The Human Capital Industry has proven that empowering employees gives your organization’s culture a lift in performance, efficiency and satisfaction. Larry Sternberg is a Talent Plus Fellow and author of “Managing to Make a Difference.” Prior to working with Talent Plus, Larry worked in the hospitality industry as a General Manager for the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company. This episode explores his experience leading teams of different shapes, forms and fashions.

The modern workplace is continuously evolving, and technology has a large influence on that evolution. Whatever barriers workplaces used to face, like communication, management or efficiency barriers, have been overcome by the invention of technology. Internet and various software and applications have made it possible for businesses to remain focused on their goals with much less disruption by the day-to-day operations. In this episode, we explore the role of technology on human resources, and how technology has shifted how we work. Don Tomlinson is the Chief Operations Officer at Talent Plus. Previously, he served as the Chief Information Officer, a role he held during recording. As an experienced technologist and leader with 20 years in this industry, Tomlinson was responsible for the innovation and implementation of Talent Plus’ technology systems and software platforms. He also led our in-house software development team in building and maintaining all internal systems, external client-facing web applications, data storage, maintenance, software development and software integrations. Tomlinson works closely with the leadership team to forward the mission and vision of Talent Plus. Topics: * What is the impact of technology on HR, how is it redefining how they do work? * What is design thinking and how does it affect the user experience? * How do you know you have created a great user experience? * What do you see as technology’s role in security? * What is the difference between analytics, machine learning and AI in HR? * What does the future look like for technology in the HR industry?

With the changing nature of many industries shifting from transaction to interaction, the ability to create a world-class experience for customers and employees is the new competitive advantage. In this episode, we talk about building relationships with clients and employees which ultimately create an experience that has them consistently coming back for more. Kesha Harris is a Client Relationship Manager at Talent Plus®. She also serves as the Experience Lead, coordinating onboarding and guest experiences with new associates and VIP guests. Passionate about delivering world-class service, she has created memorable experiences for key clients. To her, her most important duty is adding value to every interaction. Topics: * What does it mean to create an experience? * What have you learned from the hospitality industry in how to create an experience? * What does an ideal client experience look like? * How do client experiences and employee onboarding experiences overlap? * Why does creating an experience matter? What has been the impact of creating experience? * In building a relationship with the new employee, some new employees may need a “safe space.” do you act as that safe space? * What’s the difference between world-class experience and regular experience? * What’s the key to creating lasting client relationships and memorable experiences?

Diversity and inclusion are topics at the forefront in the human capital industry. There’s been growing recognition of how critical it is to business performance. While companies may think that having a diverse culture means simply not adversely impacting minority groups, there is much that goes into what a diverse and inclusive culture actually means. In this episode, we talk about creating an organization with diverse talent, outside of the realm of how we typically think about diversity. Somya Kouma is a leadership consultant at Talent Plus who helps executive leaders understand and use their talents and strengths. Prior to working with Talent Plus, she has consulted with various different consulting firms across Europe and India and has spent her career traveling the world, experiencing diverse cultures and witnessing talent expressed in different ways. Topics: What does having a diverse culture of talent mean, and how has the concept evolved over time? Why does it matter, and how do we prepare for the changes that follow a diverse culture? What does a diverse team look like? What’s the first step organizations must take to become diverse, and what are some of the challenges that will come up? How will companies know that they’ve achieved a diverse culture and how long does it take to show benefits? 36 minutes Learn More and Subscribe: Apple Podcasts: Subscribe Here Spotify: Subscribe Here Somya Kouma: LinkedIn