I Hate It Here

• S8 E2: Traditional Performance Reviews Are Dead (But Employees Still Want Answers) with Jessica DeVlieger

  Employees aren’t just asking for feedback—they’re begging for it.  So why are we still serving them stale, twice-a-year performance reviews like it’s 1999? This week, I’m sitting down with Jessica DeVlieger to unpack why your team is secretly screaming, “Just tell me if I’m doing a good job!”—and how leaders keep missing the mark. We’re digging into: 🔥 Why employees ALWAYS know who’s underperforming before managers do (and the awkward truth about what happens next) 🔥 The #1 reason managers avoid tough feedback  🔥 How to fix performance convos so they actually help people grow 🔥 Why your fancy new HR tech might be making things worse, and how to use it right At the end of the day, employees just want to know where they stand! Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! 0:01:53 - One Truth About Work Jessica Wishes More People Understood 0:07:32 - How Jessica Became a Performance-focused CEO 0:10:18 - Why “Traditional” Performance Management Doesn’t Work Anymore 0:13:12 - When Employees Want to Know Where They Stand, What Does That Mean? 0:16:52 - One Thing Leaders Often Misunderstand About Performance Conversations  0:21:02 - How to Create a Culture Where It’s Normal to Talk About Performance and  0:27:35 - The Performance Gap Jessica Wants to Fill, and Why It Matters 0:33:13 - Jessica’s Take on a Ratings System Approach to Performance Management 0:34:14 - The Biggest Mistake Companies Make in Implementing Performance Management Software 0:38:34 - How Jessica Would Redesign Performance Management, From Scratch And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-devlieger-7623305/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

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• S8 E1: Neutral Policies My Ass: The Fairness Farce with Zach Nunn

  Let’s talk about fairness—or, more accurately, let’s talk about how your company is probably failing at it! You know the drill: the ‘neutral’ policies that somehow always disadvantage the same people, the DEI initiatives that start and end with a Slack emoji, the performance reviews that feel more like a lottery than actual feedback.  This week, Zach Nunn (founder of Living Corporate and certified corporate truth-teller) joins me to rip apart the illusion of fairness at work!  We’re talking remote work double standards, the sneaky policies that keep marginalized employees stuck, and why ‘transparency’ is often just corporate code for ‘we’ll tell you the rules but not how to win.’  If most workplaces were actually fair, we wouldn’t need this episode!  But since that’s not our reality yet… press play and let’s get figure it out together. Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. Multi-state compliance is a nightmare—but SixFifty makes it easy. Get instant answers to employment law questions, generate a compliant multi-state handbook in minutes, and stay ahead of changing laws with automated updates. Visit SixFifty.com to learn more! 0:03:43 - One Truth About Work Zach Wishes More Leaders Understood 0:11:30 - What is Living Corporate and What Inspired Zach to Start It? 0:17:02 - What Most Companies Get Wrong About Fairness at Work 0:25:42 - Defining a Fair Workplace and How It Feels to Employees 0:38:52 - Policies That Seem Neutral, But Actually End up Being Unfair 0:52:54 - One Thing HR Should Stop Doing Immediately to Build Fairer Workplaces 0:53:50 - What Gives Zach Hope? 0:56:32 - Get in Touch With Zach And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Zach: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharynunnphr/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

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• S7 E12: AI’s Human Side: Making HR More Personalized with Jeet Mukerji

  I’m back in your ears with another banger of an episode, and this one’s the season finale! I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap things up than by geeking out with my incredibly impressive friend Jeet Mukerji, co-founder and CEO of Kinfolk. Whether you’re an AI skeptic or a full-on tech enthusiast, there is a lot of food for thought to digest. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:02:25 - A Topic Jeet Has Been Interested in Lately 00:03:57 - What Inspired Jeet to Build Kinfolk? 00:06:00 - The Biggest Challenges HR Teams Face With Employee Requests 00:11:01 - Why AI Complements the Human Piece of HR, Not Replaces 00:16:09 - The Biggest Misconceptions About AI in HR 00:21:10 - Using Data to Show Why AI Will Improve Efficiency in HR 00:28:58 - Can AI Handle the Nuances of Emotion in Text? 00:36:03 - Can AI be Used to Make a More Equitable, Inclusive Workplace? 00:42:00 - A Bold, Groundbreaking Thing Jeet Would Love to See in HR 00:44:49 - The Biggest Hurdle in HR Teams Adopting AI Tools And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jeet: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeetmukerji/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

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• S7 E11: 401(k)s & Chill: Making Retirement Planning Less Painful with Breene Murphy

  I’ve been on a mission this season to learn something new in every episode, and today?  Buckle up, because we’re diving into the world of investing and retirement planning—and I promise, it’s way more interesting than it sounds! It’s also an incredibly important topic that not enough people in our roles are talking about at length. Unfortunately, financial stress is the #1 stressor for most people, and HR leaders are no exception.  But here’s the thing: investing doesn’t have to be a jargon-filled nightmare! So in this episode, Breene Murphy and I are breaking down what HR leaders need to know about investing—no fluff, no confusing terms, just practical insights to help you build a retirement plan that works for your company and your people! Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:03:16 - A Topic Breene Has Been Interested in Lately 00:05:46 - One Thing Every HR Leader Should Know About Investing 00:09:52 - Why It’s so Important for HR Leaders to Understand Investing 00:13:17 - The Best Ways to Evaluate Your 401k Providers 00:25:46 - Why Newer Generations Contribute Less to Their Retirement Funds 00:42:12 - The Biggest Mistakes HR Leaders Make When it Comes to Offering Benefits 00:51:32 - What Breene Would Change About How Companies Approach Investing 00:53:17 - Tools and Resources to Learn About Investing And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Breene: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/breene-murphy-climate-friendly-401k/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

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• S7 E10: Recruiting Hell: The Job No One Understands with Keirsten Greggs

  Recruiting is rough right now. Job seekers are frustrated, recruiters are overwhelmed, and everyone’s wondering, “Is it just me, or is this whole system broken?”  In this episode, I sit down with Kiersten Greggs, founder of Trap Recruiter and a 24-year recruiting veteran, to unpack the chaos.  Kiersten pulls back the curtain on what’s really happening in today’s job market, why recruiters are the unsung heroes of HR, and how both candidates and hiring teams can navigate this mess. Are you ready to unlock the full potential of your workforce? PI empowers organizations to align talent with business strategy, helping you drive results and build a culture where your people truly thrive. Transform how you hire, engage, and lead—visit predictiveindex.com to learn how you can create meaningful change in your organization today! 00:02:19 - A Topic Keirsten Has Been Interested in Lately 00:05:03 - What is Happening in Today’s Market? 00:10:01 - How Will the Job Market Look in the Next Year? 00:14:06 - How to Stand Out During a Hiring Process 00:23:04 - Why Does Everybody Think You Need to Beat the ATS? 00:29:14 - Using AI for Resumes or Job Searching 00:36:39 - The Biggest Inefficiencies in the TA Process Right Now 00:44:16 - How Long Should the Overall Interview Process be? 00:51:46 - What is the Most Important Part of the Candidate Experience?  00:57:03 - The One Tip Kiersten Would Give Recriuters And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Keirsten: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/traprecruiter/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

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