Podcast · Business

Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

by Traci Chernoff · English · Business

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

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest: 13 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

13 Oct 2026 · 26 minNew

292. Policy Pulse: Labor Law Whiplash and How HR Can Stay Ready

Two nominations to the NLRB could rewrite the rules on severance agreements, union organizing, and captive audience meetings, and that’s just the start of this month’s Policy Pulse, which also covers the Department of Labor’s sweeping deregulation push and the independent contractor rule that has already changed. Traci and employment law expert Bryan Driscoll sort out what’s official, what’s still on the horizon, and how HR leaders can get ready without rewriting the handbook every time a headline breaks. In this episode: If the Senate confirms two new NLRB nominees, the non-disparagement…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

29 Sep 2026 · 27 min
291. When Your Career Breaks Your Heart: The Grief Nobody Names ft Laverne McKinnon, MCC
This week, Traci talks with Laverne McKinnon, MCC, about professional grief. That's the loss we feel when a job, promotion, project, or career identity we cared about is suddenly gone, and it may be what's behind the burnout, low morale, and missing motivation so many HR leaders are seeing right now. Laverne is a career strategist and grief recovery specialist who works with ambitious professionals through career pivots, new leadership roles, and career disruptions. She's a former senior executive at CBS and Epix, executive produced Netflix's Girlboss, teaches at Northwestern University, and…
15 Sep 2026 · 24 min
290. Slow Down to Speed Up: The Real Cost of Bad Execution Ft Kevin Ertell
This week's episode is about why most strategies fail at execution, and what leaders can do differently to actually get results. Traci sits down with Kevin Ertell, a veteran executive and advisor with more than 30 years of experience leading transformations at brands like Nike, Tower Records, and Sur La Table. As founder and CEO of Mistere Advisory, Kevin helps companies turn strategy into action, and he just published his first book, The Strategy Trap: Why Companies Fail at Execution and How to Get It Right , pulling together insights from over 60 operators across industries. In this…
1 Sep 2026 · 31 min
289. Policy Pulse: The Trojan Horse Hiding in Your Next Team Meeting
This Policy Pulse episode breaks down three major employment law developments HR leaders need on their radar right now: a Supreme Court ruling that changes how federal agencies operate, an update on the Workday AI discrimination lawsuit, and a new Maryland law restricting mandatory workplace meetings. Traci and Bryan dig into what each of these means for how you operate day to day, and why "wait and see" isn't always the wrong move. In this episode: The Supreme Court just overturned a hundred year old precedent, and it changes who controls the NLRB and EEOC Why HR leaders should brace for…
18 Aug 2026 · 25 min
288. Agentic AI and the HR Strategy Gap feat. Joey Price
Agentic AI is already changing how HR teams buy technology, lead their people, and think about who belongs in the room when decisions about the future of work get made — and most HR leaders don't have a strategy for any of it. This week Traci sits down with Joey Price, CEO of Jumpstart HR, a TEDx speaker on AI in the workplace, and author of The Power of HR: How to Make an Organizational Impact as a People Professional. A SHRM Top 30 Under 30 alum and one of the top 100 HR tech influencers of 2025, Joey also hosts his own podcast, While We Were Working, and brings years of hands-on…
4 Aug 2026 · 26 min
287. Policy Pulse: The New DEI Lawsuit Every HR Leader Should Know About
This week's Policy Pulse segment tackles three major legal developments HR leaders need to know about: the EEOC's lawsuit against The New York Times over its DEI program, Colorado's rollback of its AI hiring law, and a Supreme Court case that could give the president the power to fire agency heads at the EEOC and NLRB without cause. Bryan Driscoll returns for another Policy Pulse segment, bringing his employment law expertise to break down the cases and policy shifts shaping workplace compliance right now. As our resident legal expert, Bryan helps translate the legal jargon into what it…
21 Jul 2026 · 22 min
286. AI Readiness: What Your Workforce Needs First Ft. Reimund Neienaber
AI is reshaping how companies hire and how job seekers land interviews, and this week's guest is building the tools making it happen. Traci sits down with Reimund Nienaber, a seasoned HR leader and global talent development expert with more than 20 years of experience spanning telecommunications, expat HR leadership across five continents, and now consulting work at Edligo. As Director of Consulting and Customer Success, Reimund helps organizations figure out what their people actually know, where the gaps are, and how to close them as AI reshapes roles across every department. What We…
7 Jul 2026 · 30 min
283. What HR Gets Wrong About Developing Future Leaders feat. Michael Timms
Michael Timms joins the podcast to break down why most "succession planning" in organizations is actually just replacement planning in disguise, and why that distinction matters more than most HR leaders realize. Michael Timms is an internationally sought after speaker, consultant, and bestselling author who teaches leaders how to inspire accountability. He's the author of How Leaders Can Inspire Accountability, the basis for his TEDx talk "How to Claim Your Leadership Power," and Succession Planning That Works. Through his company, Avail Leadership, he partners with organizations to build…
23 Jun 2026 · 27 min
282. Why Good Employees Leave and What Actually Makes Them Stay
Traci welcomes Dr. Carrie Graham, PhD, a training strategist specializing in scalable talent development who guides small and mid-sized organizations to achieve measurable results through strategic employee training programs. Dr. Graham's research reveals that toxic work environments aren't just unpleasant, they produce real, life-altering mental and physical health consequences for the people inside them, particularly for high-achieving women who were promised development opportunities that never materialized. What We Cover: Why retention strategies miss the point and what to focus on…
16 Jun 2026 · 20 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…
9 Jun 2026 · 39 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…
2 Jun 2026 · 23 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…
26 May 2026 · 32 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…
19 May 2026 · 28 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…
12 May 2026 · 35 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 one Why his first program was a complete disaster and what he rebuilt from scratch The difference between profit sharing and employee stock ownership plans Why monthly payouts change daily employee behavior in ways quarterly or annual bonuses…
5 May 2026 · 48 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 benefits The negotiation most employees don't know they're allowed to have The "pip or resign" trap and how employers use it to void unemployment eligibility What to document…
28 Apr 2026 · 20 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,…
21 Apr 2026 · 25 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…
14 Apr 2026 · 32 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 onboarding What's at stake when there's no plan in place What outplacement actually is (hint: not George Clooney in Up in the Air) The communication plan every HR leader needs before they ever need it Legal landmines to think through before a single conversation happens Survivors' guilt and what…
7 Apr 2026 · 47 min
271. What Group Benefits Get Wrong About Fertility Coverage feat. Flora Fertility
This week, Traci sits down with the co-founders of Flora Fertility to talk about why employer-sponsored fertility coverage is broken and what the first individually owned fertility insurance solution is doing to fix it. Dr. Christy Lane is a global leader in InsureTech, an investor, founder, and award-winning health scientist with expertise in AI, digital health, and wearable devices. She is the co-founder of Flora Fertility and the Stanford Wearable Health Lab, and a venture partner with IA Capital in New York. A mom of three who went through IVF herself, Dr. Lane has built her career in…
31 Mar 2026 · 48 min
270. The Future of Work Is Here and HR Isn't Ready
This week, Traci sits down with Steve Cadigan to explore what the future of work actually demands from HR leaders and why most organizations are still building for a world that no longer exists. Steve is a globally recognized talent strategist, advisor, author, and founder of Cadigan Talent Ventures. Best known as LinkedIn's first CHRO, he helped scale the company from 400 employees through its IPO. His book Work Quake debuted as Amazon's #1 Hot New Release and a graduate-level course at Stanford was built around the culture he helped create. In this conversation, Steve shares the…
24 Mar 2026 · 34 min
269. The HR Words Quietly Building a Dehumanized Future feat. Joshua Berry
This episode is about how the language we use to describe people at work is quietly shaping both workplace culture and the future of AI. Joshua Berry, author, speaker, and Director of Iconic, brought this conversation to the podcast last year and it has only gotten more relevant since. The business terms you've been using on autopilot (headcount, right-size, prospects) aren't neutral. They're belief systems, and they're being baked into the AI your organization will rely on tomorrow. What We Cover: Words are a symptom of your unconscious beliefs about people "Headcount" isn't neutral, and…
17 Mar 2026 · 32 min
268. The Execution Gap Your Leadership Training Isn't Closing
This week, Traci sits down with Stephen Flanagan to tackle one of the most persistent problems in growing organizations: the gap between strategy set in the boardroom and what actually gets executed on the ground. Stephen Flanagan is the founder of Seeks Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping lean, fast-growing companies scale leadership by turning mid-level managers into execution-ready leaders. He spent the last decade in learning and development across high-growth organizations, and his flagship program, the Performance Booster, has helped hundreds of leaders drive measurable business…
10 Mar 2026 · 33 min
267. Listen Like a Researcher: The Human-Centered Leadership Edge
This week, Traci sits down with James Warren, founder and CEO of ShareMore Stories, to explore how storytelling, emotional intelligence, and human experience research are reshaping the way organizations understand their employees, and themselves. James brings nearly 30 years across marketing, insights, and strategy, blending storytelling and AI through his company's SEEQ platform to help leaders listen more deeply and act with more impact. In this episode: The hidden truths your employees are carrying into work every day The fishbowl nobody warns leaders about The power imbalance every…
3 Mar 2026 · 39 min
267. Stop Misreading Your Gen Z Employees feat. Dr. Meghan Grace
This week's greatest hits replay features generational researcher Dr. Meghan Grace breaking down who Gen Z actually is, what drives them at work, and how leaders can better engage and retain them. Dr. Meghan Grace is a leading generational researcher, host of the Hashtag Gen Z podcast, and co-author of three books on Generation Z. She co-leads the Institute for Generational Research and Education, where she's spent the last decade helping companies, universities, and associations around the world understand generations and work better together. - The Generation That Refuses to Be Scammed -…
24 Feb 2026 · 35 min
265. From Perks to Purpose: Building Culture That Actually Sticks
This week, Traci sits down with Brett Hoogeveen, co-founder of Better Culture, to pull apart what culture actually is, why perks and benefits aren't it, and what organizations can do right now to build something that lasts. Brett shares the philosophy behind Better Culture's 20 Tenets of Culture, a research-backed framework built around the attitudes and behaviors that define high-performing, healthy teams, this episode gives you a practical, no-fluff roadmap for making culture something your whole organization actually feels. What We Cover: Culture is invisible, and that's exactly why we…
16 Feb 2026 · 39 min
Emotional Integrity: The Real Reason You're Burning Out
This week on a replay episode, Traci welcomes Bianca Best to discuss what actually stops burnout and why values alignment matters more than sleep, exercise, or vitamins. Bianca Best is a globally recognized speaker, author, and strategist whose career includes collaborations with Google, Amazon, Deloitte, Barclays, and Unilever. She's dedicated to empowering professionals to achieve extraordinary results without sacrificing their health or happiness. Her book Big Impact Without Burnout offers actionable strategies to help leaders align purpose with performance while thriving sustainably.…
10 Feb 2026 · 29 min
263. Leaders Need Cynics: Here's Why Most Organizations Fire Them
This week on the Traci explores what it really means to be cynical at work with Hywel Berry , CEO and founder of Alicorn Learning. A veteran of corporate leadership, sales, and organizational training, Hywel challenges the narrative that cynicism is inherently toxic—and argues that some of the most valuable people in your organization might just be the ones asking tough questions. Throughout this conversation, you'll discover how to harness skepticism as a leadership tool, understand why tone matters more than words, and learn what "realistic optimism" actually looks like when everything…
3 Feb 2026 · 28 min
262. The Champions List: How Your Network Actually Lands Jobs feat. Karen Worthy
This week, Traci welcomes Karen Worthy, an executive career transition coach who helps leaders accelerate their job search and land their dream roles often in half the time of their peers. Karen unpacks why building community and leveraging your network is the most powerful tool in your career transition toolkit. What We Cover: Your personal "champions list" and how it opens doors across companies, not just within them Why the person you talked to three years ago at a training class can be your secret career weapon The three communities you should be part of at any given time How to network…
27 Jan 2026 · 36 min
261. Greatest Hit: We Own Our Own Career Development
This episode is all about taking control of your own career development instead of waiting for your manager to hand you opportunities. Traci shares personal lessons learned from influential leaders and her own journey as both an HR professional and podcast founder. You'll walk away understanding that career growth—whether vertical promotions or horizontal skill-building—is ultimately your responsibility, not your manager's. As part of our greatest hits replay series, we're revisiting this powerful solo episode that continues to resonate with our audience about owning your career destiny.…

About Bringing the Human back to Human Resources

Bringing the Human back to Human Resources is a English business podcast from Traci Chernoff. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Traci Chernoff
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 31 min
Latest episode: 13 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1537889926
Rights: 214850

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