HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story! artwork

Management · John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!

by John Thalheimer, MS Org Leadership and Chuck Simikian, SPHR, SHRM-SCP

Welcome to the HR Stories Podcast — making work better one story at a time.  Every workplace has stories. Some are about organizations that got it wrong. Others are about leaders who got it right. And sometimes, the most important lessons come from the everyday decisions that shape how people experience work. Your storytellers, John Thalheimer MS and Chuck Simikian SPHR, SHRM-SCP, use real workplace stories as the teaching tool. LISTEN to what happened.LEARN from the decisions, successes, mistakes, and warning signs.ACT on practical ideas that can make your workplace better. Each episode starts with a story — a court case, a leadership challenge, an HR misstep, an employee experience, or an organization trying something different. John and Chuck then break down what happened, why it matters, and most importantly, what we can learn from it. Sometimes that means understanding an employment law or avoiding an expensive mistake. Sometimes it means becoming a better leader, building trust, improving communication, or creating a workplace where people can do their best work. That balance is what HR Stories is all about: practical HR, thoughtful leadership, and real-world lessons you can use. John and Chuck have spent their careers helping HR professionals, business owners, and leaders navigate the people side of business through consulting, training, coaching, and thousands of live learning experiences. Their goal with HR Stories is simple: Tell good stories. Find the lesson. Make work better. John is the Founding Director of True Star Leadership™, which focuses on helping managers and leaders learn performance management principles. Chuck is the Founding Partner of Alliance HR Partners, which provides HR consulting and training to businesses nationwide. Together, they have over 40 years of experience navigating the challenges of HR and recently published their book, The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklist Edition. Go to https://ultimateguidetohr.com/ for more information, download a free sample, and watch their webinar on the Secret Power Behind Successful Businesses.

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

Ep177: What does real and successful DEI look like?

Send us Fan Mail Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not what you really should be questioning. The real question is what actually helps people work better together and

Oct 6
47 min

Ep176: Don't ask for feedback if you're not ready for the answer

Send us Fan Mail The most dangerous employee survey is the one with great scores when nobody felt safe telling the truth. Chuck and John unpack a Golden State Warriors l

Sep 29
33 min

Ep175: Is AI Making the Workplace Better?

Send us Fan Mail AI can save hours, but it can also create bias, bad decisions, and new HR headaches if you hand it the wrong job. Chuck and John unpack the real questio

Sep 22
46 min

Ep174: From the Vault - Off-The-Clock Behavior and the Impact on Workplaces

Send us Fan Mail This week we revisit an episode from September 2025 where the team discusses out of work behavior and what implications that can have on workplaces.  -

Sep 8
18 min

Ep173: From the Vault - Listener Q&A!

Send us Fan Mail Revisit this episode, originally from summer of 2025! ----- Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes int

Sep 1
40 min

Ep172: Perfectly Documented Terrible Decisions

Send us Fan Mail Bad documentation can create a bigger mess than no documentation at all. Chuck Simikian and John Thalheimer break down why the real goal is not paperwor

Aug 25
34 min

Ep171: Doing Discipline Right

Send us Fan Mail When employees mess up in the workplace, accountability and consistency is crucial to maintaining employee trust. But what is the right move when things

Aug 18
37 min

Ep170: Engagement and Management - how to get your team back

Send us Fan Mail Managers are carrying too much, employees are feeling less connected, and AI is about to expose every weak workplace system that already exists. Chuck f

Aug 11
35 min

Ep169: What Makes Work Better - Part 2

Send us Fan Mail Today's episode covers the critical role of government agencies like the EEOC and Department of Labor, which are tightening enforcement, reshaping

Aug 4
16 min

Ep168: What Makes Work Better - Part 1

Send us Fan Mail Workplaces are changing. Benefits are shrinking, employees are being sent back to in-office work, and AI is fundamentally changing the hiring process fo

Jul 28
29 min

Ep167: You Can Be Kind And... Part 2

Send us Fan Mail In this second part of, "You can be kind and..." series, Chuck and John will dive into the ways that being kind creates accountability and fairness in t

Jul 21
34 min

Ep166: You Can Be Kind And...

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a practical, high-impact conversation for HR professionals, managers, and business entrepreneurs who want to lead with kindness without

Jul 14
29 min

Ep165: Should you fire your HR department?

Send us Fan Mail Most CEOs might not fire their entire HR team. But when Ryan Breslow, CEO of Bolt, did just that, the headlines sparked outrage. He claimed HR was “crea

Jul 7
21 min

Ep164: Disparate Impact Changes You Can't Miss

Send us Fan Mail Most HR professionals aren't prepared for the seismic shift happening around discrimination laws and missing it could cost you millions. What if yo

Jun 30
22 min

Ep163: Fire Them Out of Kindness

Send us Fan Mail Most workplaces are ignoring the silent killer of culture that’s hiding in plain sight: tolerance. In this eye-opening episode, HR experts John Thalheim

Jun 23
22 min

Ep162: Why Raising Minimum Wage Creates Upward Salary Pressure

Send us Fan Mail Most HR conversations overlook the real drivers behind employee retention and wage satisfaction. What if the secret isn’t just about raising minimum wag

May 19
16 min

Ep161: Clarity. Capabilities. Capacity. Change Your Workplaces Today.

Send us Fan Mail Most HR advice misses the real secret to building thriving teams and it’s not just about training or benefits. On this episode, leadership guru John sha

May 12
16 min

Ep160: You Can Pump... If We're Staffed

Send us Fan Mail When a medical facility told a new mother that she could take a couple of minutes to pump ONLY if they were well-staffed, it wasn't a benefit they

Apr 28
18 min

Ep159: Friction-Causing Jolts Making Your Employees Quit

Send us Fan Mail When your employees experience moments of friction that make them question their relationship with their job or the company they work for, you want to m

Apr 21
23 min

Ep158: Succession - It doesn't need to be TV-worthy drama

Send us Fan Mail Having a solid succession plan at your company can not only help you have the right people to fill a role and provide clarity for your employees, but it

Apr 14
21 min

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