Hacking HR

Empathy is a lot of beautiful things. Feeling sorry for somebody is pity. Empathy.. now, that's a totally different game, at a whole new level.

?? How do top CEOs stay ahead? McKinsey spent 20 years studying 7,800 CEOs and developed The CEO’s Essential Checklist, a tool to help leaders assess their performance across six critical dimensions. ?? This repurposed version captures the key questions that drive CEO excellence: ? Are you setting a bold and strategic direction? ? Is your organization’s culture enabling execution? ? Are you mobilizing leaders to scale success? ? Do you engage your board as a strategic asset? ? Are you building strong stakeholder relationships? ? How effectively are you managing your time and energy? ? Leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions. ????? ?? Get the full insights in this week’s Daily Jam: https://bit.ly/4iGu5k6 ?? Credit: This checklist is based on McKinsey & Company’s CEO Checklist, a framework developed from decades of research on high-performing executives. #CEOLeadership #ExecutiveExcellence #Leadership #FutureOfWork #DailyJam #CEOs

?? Day 23 of the March Recognition Challenge! ?? Today, let’s recognize an amazing storyteller who captivates a room, makes every presentation engaging, and turns even the most ordinary updates into something memorable. Their way with words keeps us all hooked! Tag your favorite workplace storyteller and give them a shoutout! ??? #EmployeeAppreciation #RecognitionChallenge #MasterStoryteller #Kudos

Because yeah ?? You hire the people. ?? You fire the people. ?? You coach the people, calm the people, and occasionally save the people from themselves. ?? Let’s be real: Without HR, this place would be one bad decision away from a Netflix documentary. ?? HR fam, what’s your “I saved the day and no one noticed” moment this week? Drop it below! ?? ?? Repost if HR deserves more credit (and a standing ovation). ?? Follow Hacking HR for the laughs you need to survive the job.

Culture is not the meaningless perks some companies boast about. Perks do matter, but they are just one tiny, sometimes even insignificant, component of culture, especially if they are not even good perks. A foosball table won't ignite people's passion... purpose and meaning at work will. "Casual Friday" won't make people more creative... respect, trust and transparency will. A culture of respect, belonging, inclusivity, safety, acknowledgement, appreciation, support and care, and accountability... that's great culture and that's how you build a sustainably successful organizations that delivers value for its customers, and for its employees.

?? Day 22 of the March Recognition Challenge! ?? Today, let’s recognize a lifelong learner who is always working to improve: the one who seeks out new skills, embraces growth, and inspires others with their curiosity and drive. Their dedication to learning makes the whole team stronger! Tag a colleague who never stops growing! ???? #EmployeeAppreciation #RecognitionChallenge #LifelongLearner #Kudos Kudos?

Have a great weekend, everyone. Also, be like this ▼ Activate to view larger image,

?? HR Is Expected to Fix Burnout, But Who’s Checking In on HR? When burnout spreads across an organization, everyone turns to HR. Fix it. Solve it. Support everyone else. ?? But here’s the hard truth: ? HR is holding up the weight of the entire organization, often with no one holding them. ? HR is managing crises, emotions, resignations, and restructures, without time to process their own exhaustion. ? HR is expected to lead wellness programs, while quietly running on empty. ?? We’ve made HR the guardian of everyone’s well-being… and then forgotten to ask how HR is doing. ?? Burnout isn’t just an employee issue, it’s an organizational one. And if the people responsible for creating safe, healthy workplaces are burned out themselves, the entire system starts to crack. ?? HR isn’t invincible. They’re human. And if we want real, lasting change, it starts by acknowledging that HR doesn’t just need more responsibility, they need more support. ?? What would change if organizations treated HR’s well-being as seriously as everyone else’s? Let’s talk about it. ?? ?? Repost if you believe supporting HR is essential, not optional. ?? Follow Hacking HR for bold, human conversations about the future of work.

?? Are Job Descriptions Ruining Hiring? ?? What if we stopped listing tasks, and started listening to talent? We’ve all seen them, those 2-page job descriptions packed with buzzwords, unrealistic expectations, and outdated requirements. ?? “Must have 10 years of experience.” ?? “Must be a self-starter, team player, multitasker, culture fit…” ?? “Must meet every single bullet, or don’t bother applying.” But here’s the truth no one wants to say out loud: Job descriptions aren’t attracting top talent, they’re screening them out. ?? What Are We Really Hiring For? Is it for titles and tasks? Or for thinking, innovation, and impact? Traditional job descriptions assume: ? Everyone follows the same path to excellence. ? The company knows exactly what it needs. ? The best people will mold themselves to fit your list. But top talent isn’t looking for checklists, they’re looking for purpose, challenge, and a place to contribute. ?? What if instead of saying: ?? “Here’s what you must do…” We asked: ?? “Here’s the problem we’re trying to solve, how would you help us solve it?” ?? What Job Descriptions Miss ?? They miss potential. People with unconventional experience often get filtered out, no matter how capable. ?? They miss creativity. Rigid requirements leave no room for different thinking, diverse backgrounds, or new approaches. ?? They miss the human. They focus on outputs, not values. Competencies, not culture contribution. And ironically, the people most qualified to grow into the role are often the ones most discouraged from applying. ?? A Radical Rethink: What If Candidates Led the Pitch? Imagine if hiring looked like this: ? You share the challenges your team is facing. ? Candidates pitch how they could add value, solve problems, and drive impact. ? You build the role around the talent, not the other way around. You’d discover: ?? Ideas you hadn’t considered. ?? Strengths beyond your checklist. ?? People who don’t just fit the role, but elevate it. Because the best hires don’t just fill a gap, they help you grow beyond it. ?? The Hard Truth ?? If your job descriptions are outdated, your hiring will be too. ?? If you're filtering for “fit,” you're probably missing brilliance. ?? If you’re only hiring for what you need now, you’re not hiring for the future. Talent doesn't live in bullet points. It lives in people. And maybe it's time we started hiring like we believe that. ?? So let’s ask the real question: Are job descriptions helping us hire better? Or are they keeping the best people out? Drop your thoughts below. ?? ?? Repost to challenge how we think about hiring. ?? Follow Hacking HR for more bold insights on the future of work.

?? HR’s Identity Crisis: Business Leader or People Advocate? Why Choosing One Is the Wrong Answer For years, HR has been caught in a quiet tug-of-war: Be strategic. Align with the business. Drive results. But also: Support employees. Protect well-being. Champion culture. ?? So which is it? Are we business leaders or people advocates? Can we be both, or does one always come at the expense of the other? ?? This is HR’s identity crisis. And it’s costing us trust, influence, and clarity. Let’s be honest: ?? When HR aligns too closely with the business, employees feel abandoned. They see us as policy enforcers, not partners. They fear we’re here to protect the company, not the people. ???????? But when HR sides only with employees, we lose strategic credibility. We’re dismissed as too emotional, too soft, too reactive. We get excluded from key decisions that affect the very people we’re trying to protect. ?? We’ve spent decades swinging between extremes, when what we really need is integration. The Truth: HR Doesn’t Have to Choose ?? HR should not be either/or. It must be both/and. ? We are business leaders, who understand people. ? We are culture builders, who speak the language of strategy. ? We are data-driven, without losing our humanity. ? We protect the organization, by protecting the people in it. Because here's what too many organizations forget: ?? You don’t drive results without people. You don’t build trust without integrity. You don’t grow a business by burning out your workforce. What Needs to Change ?? HR must stop being the buffer between leadership and employees, and start being the bridge. ?? We need to sit at the table, not just to translate employee needs, but to shape business decisions with people in mind. ?? We must hold space for empathy and accountability, advocacy and outcomes, care and courage. ?? Being a strategic powerhouse and a champion for people are not competing goals. They are mutually dependent. One without the other is incomplete, and ineffective. So ask yourself: ? Are we creating policies that serve the business and the people? ? Are we pushing for productivity and psychological safety? ? Are we seen as a trusted ally by both executives and employees? ?? Because if HR isn’t leading with both head and heart, we’re not leading at all. ?? What’s the biggest tension you’ve experienced between being a business leader and a people advocate in HR? Let’s talk. ?? ?? Repost if you believe HR’s greatest strength is its ability to do both, without apology. ?? Follow Hacking HR for bold, human-centered insights on the future of HR leadership.