Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

Hosted by Traci Chernoff

Business

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Episodes

283

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

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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60 recent

June 16, 202619 min

281. Three Kids, a Career, and a Podcast: The Honest Update

In this episode, Traci shares what her return to work has looked like with three kids under three, a demanding career, and a podcast.She opens up about what that took to admit, and why the "have it all" pressure lands differently when both your career and your family are simultaneously demanding more of you. She also gets into what she actually wishes workplaces understood about flexibility, and why the traditional nine-to-five model isn't built for the reality most people are living.What We Cover:— Why the show is going biweekly and what that decision actually cost Traci to make— The "100% problem" and why splitting it a million ways doesn't work— What it's like when both your career and your family are on an upward trajectory at the same time— Why "working mom" and "career mom" don't even feel like the same thing— The pseudo-flexibility trap and what true workplace flexibility would actually look like— Why HR business partners face a specific challenge when it comes to flexible work— What Traci would change if she could wave a magic wand for every woman in her situationConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

June 9, 202639 min

280. Building Trust at Work: The Retention Strategy Nobody Talks About

This week, Traci sits down with Greg Roche, founder of Retention and Rewards Partners and author of The Fast and Easy Guide to Networking for Introverts, to explore why intentional connection is the most underrated retention strategy in any organization.Greg shares the "stepping over the line" framework he's used throughout his career in total rewards, walking through the exact moment an employee mentally checks out, why most organizations are trying to solve engagement from the top down when the real work happens between individuals, and what leaders can do right now to build the kind of trust that makes people genuinely want to stay. What We Cover:– The "stepping over the line" moment – what's actually happening in an employee's mind right before they quit– Why proximity created connection before 2020 and what we lost when it disappeared– Top-down engagement strategies vs. small intentional acts and why one actually works– The 15-minute calendar invite that could change how you're perceived in your organization– What happens in the brain when someone talks about themselves (and how to use it)– Why new leaders who skip relationship-building create stranger danger for the whole team– The one-question approach for building upward relationships without being awkward– How connection directly impacts talent reviews, succession planning, and career visibility– The Relationship First Playbook – five ways HR leaders can make connection a cultural valueFREE GIFT: Download Greg's Relationship First Playbook for HR leaders at retentionandrewards.com/gift – five intentional practices you can put into place with your team today.Connect with Greg Roche: Retentionandrewards.com | LinkedInConnect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

June 2, 202623 min

279. LEGO at Work: The Team Building Approach That Actually Sticks

This week's episode makes the case that your next team building session should involve a table full of LEGO bricks, and JoLynn Ledgerwood, certified LEGO Serious Play facilitator and learning and development specialist with over 25 years of experience, is here to explain exactly why.Most people have never heard of LEGO Serious Play. The ones who have? They usually want to get certified on the spot.JoLynn shares how this research-backed methodology uses hands-on building to surface what people can't always say out loud, create a genuine level playing field for every voice in the room, and reveal the limiting beliefs teams carry without ever realizing it. She also breaks down what makes LEGO Serious Play so different from the typical after-hours Topgolf outing, and why courageous leadership is the one thing every successful session requires.What We Cover:— What LEGO Serious Play actually is and why only about 100 facilitators are certified in the entire U.S.— How building with your hands activates 80% more brainpower and why that changes what comes out in the room— The tower exercise that quietly exposes every team's limiting beliefs before the session even really begins— Why introverts and extroverts finally get equal airtime in this format— How metaphor builds unlock things people didn't even know they wanted to say— What "simple guiding principles" are and how they keep momentum alive after the workshop ends— Why quarterly sessions compound the results and how new team members can catch up fast— The one thing a leader can do to kill all momentum in under ten secondsConnect with JoLynn Ledgerwood: | Elevateyourtalent.co | LinkedIn | Elevate Your Talent Blog | Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

May 26, 202631 min

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.coConnect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

May 19, 202627 min

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/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

May 12, 202635 min

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 | LinkedInConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

May 5, 202647 min

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 criticsConnect with Dan Goodman: dangoodmanea.com | Dan Goodman Connect with Traci here: https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

April 28, 202619 min

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/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

April 21, 202624 min

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 itConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.

April 14, 202632 min

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 | LinkedInConnect with Traci here:https://linktr.ee/HRTraciDisclaimer: 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.