Episodes

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Sarah O’Melia, VP of Talent at Cisive, and co-host of their podcast "Don't Get Played", about what elements of an employee’s personal life, actually affects the professional. From background checks during the hiring process to social media activity, we learn when HR has to step in, and when it’s better for them to step back. 00:00: Intro 02:25: HR business or Mind Your Business ...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Sara Kelly, EVP and Chief Partner Officer at Starbucks. Sara shares her unique journey from working in Starbucks retail stores to leading their people ops, the principals that have guided her career, and the programs around education, parental leave, and retention that have kept Starbucks employees growing within the company. 00:00: Intro 02:00: The recipe for being a CHRO 06:50...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Emily Durham, a former recruiter and current content creator, podcast host, and author of the book “Clock In.” Emily shares tips for showing up authentically online without getting yourself in trouble with HR, how she transitioned from corporate to content, and what to keep in mind for your own social media so that it doesn’t impact your career. 00:00: Intro 03:00: How Emily’s so...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Deepali Vyas, The Elite Recruiter and an HR pro herself. The two HR powerhouses sat down at our latest HR Brew event in New York City to discuss how Deepali uses different AI tools in her personal and professional life, the little white lie she told around her PTO days, and why a return to office can be a good thing for you depending on what season of your career you’re currently i...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Jenna Young, Senior Client Partner at Korn Ferry about the importance of PTO: taking it, not taking advantage of it, and how companies should actually be thinking about it for optimal employee performance. Plus, Jenna shares her idea for trading AI training with Summer Fridays. 00:00: Intro 02:15: Why people are hesitant to take their PTO 05:00: Policies HR leaders can implement...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Ava Mehta, Bank of America’s Head of Life Event Services about, frankly, giving a damn about your employees. We learn what a Life Event Services team is and how they help employees through difficult times in life, as well as small steps that current HR leaders can take to help their employees feel cared for. 00:00: Intro 01:30: What is Life Event Services? 04:30: Major life even...

On this episode of People Person, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Nancy Vitale, Chief People Officer at Omada Health, about giving your HR department a nice dose of spring cleaning, or an audit, if you will. They discuss where to start, if you tell the company about your plans, and how to make sure you are emphasizing purpose over process. 00:00: Intro 02:00: How Nancy thinks about spring cleaning in an HR department 04:45: What prompts a spri...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Sarah Tilley, SVP of Global Talent Management and Acquisition, ServiceNow about the role AI is currently playing in Talent Acquisition. They discuss how this technology has been used in the past and where it’s going, especially in relation to early stage recruitment, and how it can be used to make sure you’re hiring the right people and setting them up for leadership and s...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with HR Brew Senior Reporter Kristen Parisi about their latest DEI survey. She fills us in how leaders are looking at, implementing, and changing their DEI policies in the workplace. Then Latesha Byrd, CEO of Perfeqta shares how she works with clients to make sure their practices aren’t just performative. Ultimately, we learn that the language on DEI may be changing, but its pr...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Ashley Bendell and Peter Phelan, the co-founders of Funny People, a comedy for for (and by!) HR pros. They discuss showing up to work as your authentic self, using humor as a tool at work, and how to know where the line is. Plus, why an HR humor show is proving to not only be comedic, but cathartic as well. 00:00: Intro 01:53: Why HR needs a humor space 07:10: Using hum...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Chief Education Strategy Officer at Handshake, Christine Cruzvergara. They discuss the impact of the current job market and AI tools on intern programs, how interns can prepare before they begin their role, and why the benefits of an intern program can last for a long time, for both students and employers. 00:00: Intro 01:52: The purpose of internships 03:11: Impacts of...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew Inc.'s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Eleni DuBois, VP of Events at Morning Brew, and Kristen Parisi, Senior Reporter at HR Brew about their different yet complementary views when it comes to HR conferences. Which ones are worth it, what should you expect, and what should you be coming away from the experience learning, feeling, and ready to implement at your company? 00:00: Intro 02:07: What is the point of...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Grüns Chief People Officer Jaime Petkanics about the reality of exit interviews – and how you can avoid them all together by keeping retention high. From the question HR pros wish they could ask, to the hypothetical question that gives concrete insight into the company culture, these are the things you should be asking before your employees are even thinking about leaving. 00:...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations, Kate Noel, speaks with Kaila Lopez and Kyle Hagge, hosts of Per My Last Email, a show that dissects the intersection of work and culture, all about office romances. Kaila, who met her husband at work, offers a strong opinion about getting romantically involved at the office, while Kyle has a slightly more optimistic outlook on the matter. From when to tell HR to the question of telling your boss fir...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Maceo Owens, CEO & Founder, The ERG Movement, about how companies can implement and support ERGs for maximum results — and what those results should even be. Maceo discusses how to make employee resource groups powerful and now just performative, especially without a large budget, and explains how leaders should be thinking about these groups within a company (hint: they are an...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with President and Co-Founder of Biller Genie, Garima Shah about setting goals for the new year. How can leaders best help their employees to set and achieve goals? Garima breaks down misconceptions about setting lofty goals, explains how micro goals are the way to go, and gives tips for setting accurate timeframes and steps to take to actually achieve those goals. She also discusse...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with HR Brew reporter Mikaela Cohen about what Gen Z wants, hopes, and expects in the modern workplace. She explains the benefits and training that can help all generations understand each other, and the simple tweaks in language and policies that can help employees of all ages feel included. 00:00: Intro 01:24: Mikaela’s recent work covering Gen Z’s workplace preferences 05:40: ...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Josh Reeves, CEO & Co-Founder of Gusto. They discuss how Josh made some of Gusto’s early People Ops hires, the barefoot tradition that lived on for many years, how leaders can help employees find success in their role and with conquering new skills, and the business values that Josh is also teaching his family. 00:00: Intro 01:25: The beginnings of Gusto 05:57: Gusto’s early...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Talent, Culture, and DEI Consultant Dani Herrera about navigating the company holiday party and setting the corporate holiday calendar for the year ahead. The two HR Pros discuss the ideal day to have the company party, the best terms to use so that it feels inclusive for all, and how to set employee expectations for the celebration. Dani and Kate also discuss setting the corpo...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Sam DeMase, a writer, career coach, former HR exec, and current career expert at ZipRecruiter. Sam shares strategies for how HR teams can lead culture change and implement boundaries to actually achieve work-life balance, for both employees and HR teams. She also provides actionable tips on setting good examples, especially for managers and leaders, and explains why work-life b...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Barbra Gago, the CEO and Founder of employee progression platform, Pando. Barbra explains how Pando came to be and how it is designed to help the performance review process for both employees and HR leaders, important tips for level-setting in reviews, where she sees AI’s role in the process, and how leaders can construct better feedback for their employees. 00:00: Intro 01:0...

Welcome to People Person! In this episode, host and Morning Brew’s SVP Head of People Operations Kate Noel, speaks with Melissa Foster, VP Head of Enrollment at Prudential Financial about best practices for HR professionals during open enrollment season. Melissa shares some of her favorite tips for dealing with employees that miss deadlines, how to make sure your employees are aware of all the elements in a benefits package, and how HR professionals can get the best, up-to-date training on thri...

People Person is a candid and conversational show where People Professionals can feel seen and heard, and learn from fellow experts in their field. Host and SVP, Head of People Operations at Morning Brew Inc, Kate Noel, brings years of expertise and a healthy sense of humor to discussions about the latest developments and insights that can help others enhance their workplace and their careers. Biweekly episodes will feature Kate speaking with entertaining and experienced professionals about eve...