People Person

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 events BoA helps their employees with 07:25: How to get into this work 10:00: How HR teams can provide resources 13:40: Small ways to build company culture For all upcoming HR Brew events: https://www.hr-brew.com/events Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 success within your company. 00:00: Intro 02:05: Fill in the Blank AI thoughts 04:05: How AI is and has been used in talent acquisition and HR functions 12:08: Kate’s Take 13:00: How HR leaders should be using AI 16:00: What are the foundations of AI in an HR department 17:35: How AI affects early stage recruitment 21:50: Making sure you’re hiring the right people and future leaders For all upcoming HR Brew events: https://www.hr-brew.com/events Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 humor to enforce policy 11:30: Not crossing the line with comedy 14:13: Bringing your authentic self is a powerful tool 19:00: When humor takes a turn 24:05: How a sense of humor helps with your work This episode is sponsored by QuickBooks. To learn more, visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/workforce/ Join us at HR Brew’s first-ever Summit in NYC on April 21, 2026: The Talent 2030 Collective https://www.hr-brew.com/events/the-talent-2030-collective?utm_campaign=hrb_me_042126&utm_content=show_notes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=peopleperson For all upcoming HR Brew events: https://www.hr-brew.com/events Read more about Funny People on HR Brew: https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2025/12/19/meet-the-funny-people-behind-nyc-s-hr-themed-comedy-show Follow Funny People: https://funnyhrpeople.com/ Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 HR conferences today 05:55: How are events built to be satisfying for attendees 11:30: How to best network 19:32: Is there enough representation at events 24:10: What should attendees leave with This episode is sponsored by QuickBooks. To learn more, visit: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/workforce/ Join us at HR Brew’s first-ever Summit in NYC on April 21, 2026: The Talent 2030 Collective https://www.hr-brew.com/events/the-talent-2030-collective?utm_campaign=hrb_me_042126&utm_content=show_notes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=peopleperson For all upcoming HR Brew events: https://www.hr-brew.com/events Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 first, and even asking if it’s ever ok to hold hands at the office, this conversation is as enlightening as it is entertaining. 00:00: Intro 01:20: When to disclose to HR 08:55: Do you tell your boss or HR first 13:10: Are people more open about office romances now 17:10: Serial dating at the office 21:20: How involved should HR be 24:20: Office Appropriate or Out of Pocket game Watch Per My Last Email’s episode about dating at work: youtube.com/watch?si=u6DKw3O8kKfDwuXZ&v=z4FJKbgl2i4&feature=youtu.be Listen to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/ Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 discusses how leaders and employees can work together to track, change, and implement their goals throughout the year ahead. 00:00: Intro 01:15: Misconceptions about goal setting for the year 05:45: Implementing micro goals 06:40: Planning the timeframe for your goals 07:55: Best practices for tracking goals 12:00: Goal setting and performance reviews 14:30: Should employee or employer own goal creation 16:30: How leaders can best navigate changing goals 20:00: Thinking about goal setting in relation to regrets 23:00: Garima shares a goal that changed for her 26:25: Advice for creating impact in goal-setting For more information on Garima, you can follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garimashah/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/princessgarima/ And check out Biller Genie: https://billergenie.com/ Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 People Ops hires 12:30: Focusing on compliance vs. culture 14:20: Performance management 15:50: Traditions at Gusto 21:10: Josh’s highlights of Gusto’s growth for employees and customers 23:10: The differences between Gusto and the small businesses it serves 26:58: How business values can translate to family values 29:20: The future of HR and AI in startups 36:30: Advice for people who want to start a business Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 balance is not just about taking your vacation days. Sam also weighs in on good and bad Out of Office messages to ensure your team can handle any problem while you’re offline! 00:00: Intro 02:09: How to define work/life balance 03:40: Is it just about time off? 04:20: How HR can set the example 08:15: Educating leadership 09:40: Are the rules different for remote or hybrid workers 12:00: What do employees want to achieve work-life balance 14:50: Easy lifts for HR to implement for balance 17:46: Managers vs. leaders 18:30: Best work perks and ideal vacation time 24:00: Setting boundaries with your Out Of Office message This episode is sponsored by Equifax. Go to http://www.equifax.com/hrbrew for more information. For more from Sam, check out her website: https://www.apowermood.com/ and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apowermood/ Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.

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 Group Insurance 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 thriving during open enrollment season. 00:00: Intro 01:50: What is open enrollment 03:55: The importance of deadlines 06:15: Why you need a silent deadline 08:15: Building in year-round conversation 09:20: Tips for delivering information to employees 11:20: Benefits employees aren’t taking full advantage of 03:50: What are supplemental health benefits 14:05: How can HR pros be more well-versed in benefits offered 16:25: HR resources to help you learn about benefits 18:30: Are benefits part of a compensation package 20:55: How can HR pros leverage technology to make the process smoother 24:50: When an employee forgets to make their selections 27:55: Employees say they didn’t see messaging This episode is sponsored by Equifax. Go to http://www.equifax.com/hrbrew for more information. Subscribe to the HR Brew newsletter: https://www.hr-brew.com/subscribe Watch People Person on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hr-brew Follow HR Brew: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hr_brew/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/hrbrew/ Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to peopleperson@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 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 everything from holidays to healthcare, and AI to onboarding, in compelling episodes available everywhere you get your favorite Morning Brew podcasts.