The HR Hub

Hosted by WRKdefined Podcast Network

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291

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Practical advice for mid-level HR professionals navigating real workplace challenges. Weekly interviews with experts who deliver solutions and insights you can actually use.

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60 recent

November 10, 202621 min

The 4 Box Feedback Model: A Better Alternative to the Feedback Sandwich

The 4 box reflective feedback model is a practical alternative to the feedback sandwich that gets employees talking about their own performance first. Leadership trainer Russell Stratton of Bluegem Learning in Calgary, co-author of I Need to F***ing Talk To You, walks through each box, joins Andrea in a live role play, and shares coaching questions managers can use in performance conversations. Key takeaways: - The feedback sandwich is so familiar that employees wait for the "but," and the manager does most of the talking. - The four boxes alternate: the employee says what went well, the manager adds to it, the employee says what they could do even better, and the manager adds anything they missed. - "What could you do even better?" works for top performers and struggling employees alike. - Expect the first few conversations to feel awkward. Send questions in advance and give it a few rounds. - When there is an urgent problem, address it directly. Do not fold it into a feedback model. - Ask "talk me through what happened" and look at the lead-up to an incident, not only the moment itself. 00:00 Introduction to Russell Stratton 00:57 How this differs from other models 01:01 Problems with the feedback sandwich 02:22 The 4 box reflective model 02:36 Box 1: What went well? 03:57 Box 2: The manager tops up 04:35 Box 3: What could be even better? 05:26 Box 4: The manager adds observations 06:44 When employees don't say anything 08:17 Live role play 11:58 Using the model flexibly 13:31 When the model falls flat 14:48 Urgent problems need a different approach 16:03 Coaching questions for improvement 18:25 Look at what led up to it 20:08 Where to find Russell 21:06 Closing thoughts **Find Russell** Website: https://www.bluegemlearning.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellstratton/ Book Titles or other links: I Need to F***ing Talk To You: The Art of Navigating Difficult Workplace Conversations (with Ken Cameron): https://www.amazon.ca/Need-ing-Talk-You-Conversations/dp/1777302609 **Find Andrea** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

November 3, 202615 min

Workplace Investigation: The COST

How much does a workplace investigation cost? Andrea Adams breaks down the real hours and hourly rates behind a harassment investigation so employers can budget with confidence. Using a typical moderate complaint, she walks through each stage, from intake and scoping to the final report, and explains the hidden costs most businesses don't plan for. Key takeaways: - Every investigation follows five steps: intake and scoping, document review, interviews, analysis, and report writing. - A moderate complaint (one complainant, one respondent, four witnesses, a few incidents) takes about 30 hours to investigate properly. - Report writing is the longest single step, at around eight hours. - In Alberta, experienced HR consultants typically charge $150 to $250 an hour; employment lawyers start around $350. - Budget $5,000 to $10,000 for a straightforward investigation done by an HR consultant. - Skipping the investigation or doing it poorly in-house can lead to OHS orders, human rights complaints and much higher legal costs. 00:00 What does an investigation cost? 00:32 Investigations as a cost of business 00:58 Step 1: intake and scoping 01:19 Is a "toxic workplace" harassment? 01:49 Step 2: reviewing documents 02:13 Step 3: interviews 03:03 Step 4: analysis and credibility 03:17 Step 5: writing the report 03:36 Basic, moderate and complex investigations 06:08 A moderate investigation, hour by hour 08:35 Simple and complex investigation timelines 09:02 Investigator hourly rates in Alberta 10:00 Budgeting $5,000 to $10,000 10:40 Hidden costs to your business 11:54 Paid leave during an investigation 12:42 Why skipping it costs more 13:28 Preventing complaints in the first place 14:47 More episodes on investigations **Find Andrea** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

October 27, 202618 min

Workplace Investigation: When Someone Lies

False allegations in workplace investigations are somewhat rare. Or are they? HR professionals need to know how to recognize and handle a bad faith complaint when one comes up. Bob Stenhouse, founder and CEO of Veritas Solutions and a former police investigator and undercover officer, explains the difference between unfounded, vexatious, and bad faith complaints. He also covers counter allegations and why employers need a policy on bad faith allegations. Key takeaways: 🤷 An unfounded complaint is not a false one. Many complainants believe their own account, even when the evidence does not support it. 👹We don't usually use the word 'lying'. Usually these are called bad faith. 🫵 Counter allegations are common. Sometimes both parties breached policy, and sometimes the counter allegation is retaliation. 🧐 Investigators must keep an open mind to all possibilities, including a false allegation. A closed mind leaves findings open to legal challenge. 00:00 Intro 00:48 Unfounded vs. bad faith complaints 02:44 Vexatious vs. bad faith explained 04:13 Why investigators avoid saying “lying” 05:15 Handling counter allegations 07:32 Does it matter who started it? 08:37 Can an investigation be harassment? 10:22 Why employers need a bad faith policy 12:07 Acting on dishonesty without a policy 13:32 False allegations in the #MeToo era 15:13 Keeping an open mind 16:17 Where “he said, she said” came from 17:01 Finding Bob and Veritas Solutions **Find Bob** Website: https://veritassolutions.net/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-stenhouse/ Book: Truth Matters: A Guide to Conducting Successful Workplace & Other Administrative Investigations: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=Truth+Matters+Bob+Stenhouse **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

October 13, 202620 min

How to Run Effective Stay Interviews

Stay interviews are not just to keep employees who are thinking about leaving. They help HR and leaders gather employee insights to build a better organization. Juli Prizant, founder and president of OptiPeople Resources, explains how stay interviews compare to exit interviews and engagement surveys, who should conduct them, and what to do with what you hear. Juli has spent more than 30 years building people systems for growing companies. Key takeaways from this Stay interviews or exit interviews? It is not an either - or. Stay interviews or engagement surveys? Engagement surveys give you an organization-wide pulse. Stay interviews are more targeted and work well during change, new leadership, or high turnover. The interviewer should be someone employees trust to protect the information they share. That is often HR or an outside party, since people rarely tell their manager or their boss's boss everything. Juli calls them "tell me more" interviews, which avoids implying that only flight risks are being interviewed. Set expectations up front. You will listen and look for themes, and some concerns won't be fixed. Substantive issues like harassment or leadership problems still get addressed. 00:00 Intro 00:51 Stay interviews vs exit interviews 02:04 Who should conduct stay interviews 03:05 When to run stay interviews 03:42 Stay interviews vs engagement surveys 05:22 Reframing them as "tell me more" interviews 05:52 Interviewing flight risks and everyone else 08:35 Stay interviews for hard-to-fill roles 10:08 When an employee says "don't apply" 11:34 When a stay interviews feels like blackmail? 13:20 Setting expectations at the start 15:06 Juli's top stay interview questions 16:12 Turning interviews into trends 19:05 Act on feedback or don't ask 19:38 Where to find Juli Find Juli Website: https://optipeopleresources.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julianne-juli-prizant-8a57321/ Other links: https://www.julianneprizant.com/ (speaker and advisory site). Her blog, OptiInsights, is on her OptiPeople Resources website. Find Andrea (me) Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

October 11, 202628 min

Compensation Systems - A Complete Guide

Building an effective compensation framework is essential for creating fair compensation systems, having something defensible and sustainable, meeting pay transparency requirements, attracting top talent and, importantly, defusing pay disatisfaction! Shawn Raible, founder of GamePlan Total Rewards, breaks down the structure of sustainable pay systems, from market positioning to job evaluation. Learn how to construct clear pay bands, prevent title creep, and implement practical governance without overcomplicating your HR processes. Key points from the discussion: - There are 5 pieces of the system starting with the comp philosophy - Job architecture helps price roles more easily and accurately - Career frameworks are part giving you another lens to look up and down and across the organization - You don't have to benchmark every role - 50% should be enough - Governance so that there is structure for managing tough decisions without undermining integrity of the system (and defeating the whole purpose) 00:00 The 5 Compensation Framework Building Blocks 04:03 Defining Your Compensation Philosophy 05:34 Compensation Positioning and Peers 09:31 Job Architecture vs Job Descriptions 11:24 Managing Title Creep 12:29 Career Frameworks and Leveling Tracks 15:14 Building Pay Bands and Benchmarking 18:31 Where to Start with Your Compensation Framework 21:17 Compensation Governance 25:12 Why Compensation Frameworks Fail **Find Shawn** Website: https://gameplantotalrewards.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanraible/ **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

October 6, 202624 min

Systems Thinking in HR

HR has a a lot of processes. Together they make systems. Each program must connect directly back to core business goals and the business strategy. Former VP of HR Jim Utley explains why standalone performance reviews and disconnected processes create organizational friction instead of performance. Learn how aligning performance management, job design, compensation, and regular coaching builds a cohesive people strategy that drives genuine employee engagement. Key Takeaways: Why annual performance reviews fail when disconnected from ongoing coaching and compensation decisions How putting performance management at the center links business planning directly to workforce capacity. Why managers must communicate the "why" behind daily tasks to give frontline roles purpose. The reality of corporate culture and why HR rightly plays a supporting role. 00:00 Intro 00:42 Common Breakdowns in HR Programs 01:25 Why Annual Reviews Fail so Often 04:38 Balancing the Tension Between Development and Compensation 06:32 Fast-Paced Planning Versus Chaos 08:10 Systems Versus Isolated HR Processes 09:30 Performance Management at the Core 12:55 Drivers of Engagement: Autonomy and Achievement 14:05 HR Role in Corporate Culture 16:34 Identifying Disconnected HR Symptoms 20:38 Managing Layoffs Without Workplace Fear 22:34 Learn More Find Jim LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-utley-b0608b15/ Book Titles or other link: People Working: Doing Things That Matter Find Andrea (me) Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

September 22, 202623 min

Organizational Conflict: You Don't Have to Terminate or Performance Manage

Conflict resolution is the option most organizations skip when two employees stop being able to work together. Chartered mediator Michelle Phaneuf explains how facilitated conversations resolve workplace conflict, what the process looks like from first call to solution, and why letting someone go often kicks the can down the road. If the problems stem from your systems you aren't fixing anything. Michelle is a partner at Workplace Fairness West in Calgary with more than 15 years in conflict management. What you will get from this episode: ⚙️ Why conflict that looks like a clash between two people is often a systemic problem that will re-emerge again with new people. 💸 The cost comparison organizations rarely consider: restoration versus the cost of firing one of the people then recruiting, hiring and retraining a replacement 😶 The prep is the most important part as usual. You're not just going to go into a meeting cold. 💪 How to handle the power difference when the conflict is between a manager and an employee ‼ Why she uses the words 'workplace restoration'. 'Mediation' has a lot of mental baggage and more than is probably warranted. Success will not two employees who are now best friends. But also, that is not unheard of. 00:00 Intro 00:58 When organizations decide restoration is worth it 02:08 The emotional energy employees have to spend 02:47 The cost of workplace restoration versus the cost of replacing someone 03:22 Psychological safety and organizational risk 03:54 Conflict never stays between two people 04:29 Why not just fire someone? 04:48 Systemic issues behind individual conflict 06:02 Walking through a facilitated conversation 07:21 Preparing each person 08:39 Confidentiality and differences in authority 09:17 Building understanding before finding solutions 10:21 How the in-person conversation starts 11:35 Why Michelle avoids the word mediation 12:06 What makes restoration successful 13:43 Power dynamics between manager and employee 15:16 Defining success 16:41 The continuum of working relationships 17:22 Red flags that restoration will fail 19:05 How long the process actually takes 21:35 Restoration with whole teams 22:06 Where to find Michelle **Find Michelle** Website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/michelle-phaneuf/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellephaneuf/ Firm website: https://workplacefairnesswest.ca/ **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

September 15, 202616 min

Contractor or Employee? Explaining the Difference

Independent contractors are easier than employees right? Flexibility, less risk. So many employers create that contract AND unknowingly create legal, financial, and tax liabilities for themselves. Employment lawyer Brady Farmer, partner with Mathew Dinsdale Clarke, explains so much about this and why written contracts do not shield companies from liability when the daily working relationship looks like standard employment. You will learn the specific tests courts use to evaluate control, tools, and financial risk, plus how HR can safely transition misclassified workers. Key Takeaways: - Courts assess the full context of the relationship rather than relying on your contract. - When an someone is supervised, works fixed hours, uses company-supplied equipment and can't subcontract? Employee. - Misclassified contractors can retroactively claim overtime, holiday pay, vacation pay, and common law severance. You can fix the problem and Brady provides advice on how to go about in the video. 00:00 Intro 02:06 The key legal tests 06:17 The value of the contract 07:12 Why companies prefer contractors 09:16 The costs of getting it wrong 10:22 The potential tax liabilities 11:41 Fixing the problem 13:41 Liability limits and civil claims 15:08 More info Find Brady Website: https://matthewsdinsdale.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-farmer-077235108/ Firm Profile: https://matthewsdinsdale.com/bio/brady-farmer/ Find Andrea (me) Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

September 8, 202614 min

How to create an HR Strategy that will actually work

Most HR strategy fails because HR confuses their programs with actual business impact. In this conversation, Ranya Nehmeh, founder of Elevare HR Advisory and former HR leader at the OPEC Fund and European Central Bank, breaks down how to build a people plan that will make HR indispensable. We explore why initiative overload hurts performance and how to connect business goals directly to people outcomes. Key takeaways from this episode: 3️⃣ HR strategy has 3 components. It's simple and not. 📈 Organizations with aligned people and business strategies are 3.5 times more likely to outperform similar companies 😟 Why our strategies fail so often 🤐 How we stop talking about our programs 🍎 The Steve Jobs approach: cut programs that do not support bottom-line outcomes. Really it was surprising how much was packed into this episode. Ranya has clearly done some quality thinking. 00:00 What makes an HR strategy good 01:54 HR strategy support for business strategy - in one sentence 02:36 Five root causes of strategic failure 04:44 Agility and constant change are not the same thing 05:55 Getting leadership support 07:13 Cutting initiatives - but we like them! 08:56 Managers role in HR strategy 10:10 What metrics to track 11:36 How to start building your strategy 13:01 Learn more **Find Ranya** Website: https://elevare-hr.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranyanehmeh/ Book Titles: The People Strategy Playbook, In Praise of the Office **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/

September 1, 202626 min

Job Analysis for the AI Era

Job analysis provides the foundational framework needed for many activities of HR. It also will help you understand work and adapt your workforce as artificial intelligence reshapes daily tasks and organizational roles. Dr. Edie Goldberg joins the conversation to explain the critical difference between quick job descriptions and structured task analysis, offering practical advice on legal defensibility, future-oriented job design, and removing workplace toil. Key Takeaways: - The important difference between performing a detailed job analysis and drafting a basic job description. - Why observation yields far richer data than simple interviews or surveys. - How to weight task frequency against task criticality for proper role evaluations. - The legal benefits of rigorous job analysis in hiring and development. - How to use task analysis to identify where AI can eliminate operational toil. - Strategies for conducting future-oriented job analysis on roles that do not exist yet. 00:00 Why job analysis is important 01:42 Job analysis versus job descriptions 03:39 Steps to conducting a job analysis 06:39 Balancing task frequency and importance 09:10 Legal value of job analysis 10:41 Why companies skip proper job analysis 12:41 Task analysis 14:34 Redesigning jobs to remove toil 17:32 Analyzing rapidly changing roles 19:08 Future oriented job analysis method 21:00 Where AI belongs in HR functions 22:38 Resources for learning job analysis 24:07 Transforming workflow for better outcomes **Find Edie** Website: https://www.elgoldberg.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edie-goldberg-phd/ Book Titles: Performance Enablement: A New Model for Driving Organizational Performance **Find Andrea (me)** Website: https://thehrhub.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-adams1/