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Toot or Boot: HR Edition
Welcome to Toot or Boot, where a rotating crew of forward-thinking HR professionals dive into the latest news and trends shaping the workplace. We’re passionate about finding modern solutions and advocate for transforming the world of work into a space that’s fairer, more inclusive, and supportive for all. Join us as we challenge the status quo, spark meaningful conversations, and explore innovative ways to create a better future for employees and organizations alike.
Episodes
45 episodes
Moderna merges HR and IT, the price of office politics, and is sustainable scaling achievable?
In this episode, we explore three critical workplace strategy topics: how effective leaders can minimize office politics through transparency, accountability, and encouraging diverse viewpoints—strategies that seem obvious yet many workplaces s...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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27:13
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The cost of DEI rollbacks, the new employer-employee relationship , and the human cost of content moderation
This episode dives into why some CEOs are paying the price for walking back DEI, how the employer-employee relationship has fundamentally shifted, and the horrifying conditions faced by Meta’s outsourced content moderators. From strategic misca...
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Season 2
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Episode 21
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31:13
A hard job market for new college grads, the cost of declining employee wellbeing, a bold child care policy
In this episode, we explore Cake’s Body’s bold $36K childcare stipend, why the job market is suddenly so brutal for college grads, and what the WEF’s new report reveals about the steep decline in employee well-being. We break down what these he...
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Season 2
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Episode 20
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27:00
The workplace triple threat: Disengagement, RTOs, and Fake AI Applicants
This week, we're diving into three concerning workplace trends: First, employee engagement is declining sharply, with managers under 35 and female managers leading this downward slide—potentially because they're caught in middle management role...
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Season 2
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Episode 19
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33:26
The path from CPO to COO, employee choice in RTOs, and job ads for narcissists?
This week, we discuss why HR professionals are naturally positioned for C-suite operations roles, examining the journey of Hinge's Angel Franklin from CPO to COO and why this transition shouldn't be considered unusual. We also dive into MongoDB...
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Season 2
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Episode 18
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21:06
Target's DEI rollbacks hit their bottom line, LGBTQ discrimination on the rise, and quiet cracking
This week, we dive into the real-world impacts of DEI rollbacks, workplace discrimination, and employee disengagement. We examine how Target faced boycotts and significant business impacts after eliminating DEI initiatives recently met with Rev...
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Season 2
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Episode 17
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21:58
Workplace Accessibility: How policy changes like RTOs disproportionately impact employees with disabilities
This week, we welcome Nathan Chung, Jessica Donahue, and Greer Procich for a critical conversation about workplace accessibility and inclusion. With collective experience in HR, cybersecurity, and disability advocacy, our panel examines how cur...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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56:28
Meta's "do not rehire" list, the decline of workplace friendships, and HR teams too stretched to action employee feedback
In this episode, we analyze new Glassdoor research suggesting employees are increasingly deprioritizing workplace relationships, questioning whether this shift stems from broader social disconnection or reflects changing priorities in a hybrid ...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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26:19
Tokyo's 4-day workweek, resignation by proxy, and a low status desk
Kim Minnick joins this week as we dive into three fascinating workplace trends from around the globe. We examine Tokyo's move toward a four-day workweek aimed at addressing Japan's population crisis and work-life balance challenges, while quest...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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15:37
April Fools - can we tell the real headlines from the fake?
In this special April Fool’s Day episode, host Stacey Nordwall hands over the reins to co-producer Lexi Croswell for a fun twist on the usual format. Instead of tooting or booting HR headlines, Stacey and HR consultant Nadia Eran have to d...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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28:18
Live in Las Vegas at Transform
Last week our team was at the Transform Conference in Las Vegas, connecting with HR practitioners and thought leaders. We decided to have some fun and do quick on the conference floor interviews with fellow attendees and friends of the pod. So ...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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13:20
Get on board or get out buyout tactics, sex discrimination and revenge quitting
We discuss a recent sex discrimination case where a male employee in a female-dominated workplace filed a claim after being excluded from awards with the announcement "it's not going to be any of the men." We explore the complex dynamics of bei...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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41:34
Ageism, career catfishing, and a 10-year low for US employee engagement
In this episode, we start with the concerning prevalence of workplace ageism, where research shows nearly all employees over 40 experience age discrimination and feel pressured to downplay their experience.We then explore the puzzling "c...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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36:57
JPMorgan CEO hates on remote work, Britain takes on flexible working, and work-life balance
Matt is back to talk about the growing divide in workplace flexibility across different sectors of the workforce. We dive into new research showing how Britain's frontline workers are being left behind in the flexible work revolution, creating ...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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28:30
Meta lays off "low performers," AI's guardrails in Oz, and DOGE spyware
In this episode, we dive into layoffs due to performance, AI and workplace monitoring. First, we chat Meta's controversial "low performer" layoffs, where terminated employees are challenging the company's performance-based justification. And we...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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24:26
What is burnout? And why is it so prevalent in HR?
Join host Stacey Nordwall and special guests Julie Turney and Stephanie Lemek for a deep dive into HR burnout - an issue that has become critical for the field.Drawing insights from Emily and Amelia Nagoski's book "Burnout," the convers...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:12:01
What 2025 holds for RTOs and why Americans may be accepting lower salaries
Coming up on today's episode: We're diving into the latest RTO trends for 2025! We'll explore how major companies are taking wildly different approaches - from WPP's new four-day office mandate to firms like Spotify doubling down on flexibility...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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34:21
Anticipated employment law changes, soft quitting, and the new deputy labor secretary
This week we kick it off with some anticipated employment law changes that could impact your workplaces. We'll unpack 5 laws expected to impact businesses in 2025, from pay transparency mandates to revamped contractor rules. We'll also analyze ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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34:02
HR preps for new administration, Apple pushes back on anti-DEI, and reverse discrimination lawsuits
Get ready for your HR news fix! This week we're diving into three timely stories: guidance on how to approach the administration change, Apple's response defending their DEI initiatives against shareholder pushback, and a potential emerging tre...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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22:48
2025 HR Predictions: Toot-worthy or Boot-worthy?
In this week's special episode, your host Stacey Nordwall joins the Toot or Boot hot seat with Erica Spitale and Rebecca Taylor, and producer Lexi comes out from behind the scenes for a rapid-fire edition of Toot or Boot, all about 2025 HR pred...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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48:25
All things DEI with Vijay and Tara
What do we mean when we say DEI? Are the companies rolling back their DEI programs making substantive changes? And what is DEI going to look like under the new administration?In this episode of Toot or Boot, we welcome back guests Vijay...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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52:11
Candidates love-bombed and ghosted, the return of bro culture, and volunteering as a wellbeing program
In this episode, we explore the turbulent landscape of modern workplaces, starting with Greenhouse's survey revealing that over half of job seekers experience ghosting or "love-bombing" during the hiring process—creating frustration and mistrus...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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30:09
The Golden Toots and Coal-filled Boots of 2024
2024 was a challenging year. We saw the implementation of six-day workweeks, so many layoffs, return-to-office (RTO) mandates, and DEI rollbacks. SHRM removed the E from DEI and Silicon Valley CEOs and VCs seemed to want a return to days of HR ...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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40:09
Elon to X remote work, RTOs as retaliation, and what employees really value
In this episode, we dive into Elon Musk's and Vivek Ramaswamy's controversial task force, cheekily named the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Their mission? To slash federal workforce numbers by targeting remote and hybrid work—impac...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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28:50
Managers' toxic positivity, the legacy of Steve Jobs' leadership style, and a 2025 quitting spree?
This week I'm joined by Vijay Pendakur, an author and HR advisor and consultant, to dive into toxic positivity, toxic leadership and more. First, we chat about managers glossing over bad news, creating an atmosphere of toxic positivity, and los...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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30:25