I Hate It Here

Most AI conversations I sit through are either full of hype that doesn't hold up or sooo doom-and-gloom that I leave feeling like I should update my resume and move to a cabin. This episode is neither of those things, and that's exactly why I loved it! I sat down with Marinus van Driel, a partner at Aon who leads their workforce transformation team, to talk about what's actually happening with AI and workforce strategy in 2026, and more importantly, what leaders are getting catastrophically wrong about it. The short version: most organizations are treating AI like a cost-cutting lever when they should be using it to redesign how work gets done entirely. The longer version is in this episode, and it's worth every minute! Aon’s Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what’s next. Learn more at ⁠Aon.com 00:01:45 - Marinus’s Background 00:03:12 - The Biggest AI/Trends in 2026 (So Far) 00:08:09 - How We Can Prepare for Major Changes in the Workplace 00:14:12 - What Leaders Need to Know so They Can Understand AI More Effectively 00:19:15 - How HR Can Separate Fear-based Decisions into Strategy 00:25:30 - What Leaders Are Doing Differently to Become Forward-thinking Orgs 00:30:53 - What Companies Keep Getting Wrong About AI, and What a Better Decision Looks Like And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Marinus: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marinus/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

We have all handed an engagement score to a CEO, watched them nod confidently, say something completely incorrect about what it means, and had to just sit there smiling while dying a little inside. Just me? …Definitely not just me. The number isn't always lying, but the questions we've been asking for the last decade might be! My guest today is Anne Maltese from Quantum Workplace, and she has spent nearly 20 years watching what happens when people data lands in executive rooms, between the good, the bad, and the deeply cringe-worthy. We're getting into new ways to think about engagement, smarter questions to bring your leadership team, and why the disengaged people on your team might not be who you think they are. Buckle up! --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:02:13 - Something New Anne Wants to Learn This Year 00:05:11 - The Biggest Shift Anne Has Seen Around How Orgs Talk About Engagement 00:11:20 - Is Your Engagement Healthy? 00:16:39 - Smarter Questions to Walk Into an Exec Room With Instead of Just Standard Engagement Scores 00:27:01 - What Does it Mean if Someone is a Top Performer, But Disengaged? 00:34:24 - What Good Data Storytelling Looks Like in Practice 00:38:35 - Does Data Show That HR Leaders are Thriving? 00:42:23 - How HR Should Start Rethinking Measuring and Reporting Engagement 00:48:03 - What Gives Anne Hope For the Future --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Anne: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-maltese-0b9a876/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

L&D gets done dirty constantly and I have been saying this for years!!! It's the function that gets underfunded, overcomplicated, blamed for culture problems it didn't create, and somehow still expected to fix everything with a workshop and a Kirkpatrick model. Hanan Sahourieh got into all of it: why L&D functions fail before they even get started, how ego and power dynamics quietly destroy learning cultures, what trust actually looks like when you have to rebuild it from scratch, and the mistakes learning professionals make without even realizing it. Oh, and she wrote a book called Everybody Be Cool which is the most accurate title for an L&D book I have ever heard in my life. --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:01:42 - Something New Hanan Wants to Learn This Year 00:04:30 - The First Thing Hanan Notices When L&D is a Mess at an Org 00:07:35 - The Story Behind Hanan’s Book Title, Everybody Be Cool 00:13:12 - Why Cross-functional Leaders Keep Over-engineering Stuff That Isn’t Theirs to Run 00:19:44 - Pushing Back on a Senior Leader When They Think They Know Better Than the Learning Team 00:25:52 - A New Idea in L&D Right Now 00:30:29 - How to Build Trust That’s Brand New or Even Lost 00:38:16 - Some of the Most Common Mistakes Learnig Professionals Make Without Realizing 00:42:13 - The Single Most Important Thing HR Should Get Right About Learning in Year One And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Hanan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hananharb/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay so this episode is a little different, because the layers here are a lot. Morgan T. Stanley is my guest today, and yes, that is her real name, and yes, we have laughed about it many times. We started as peers, then somehow ended up in a manager-direct report situation, then became peers again, and NOW she has my old job! We discuss everything — how we met, what it was like when the dynamic shifted, what she changed after stepping into the role, and how leadership has genuinely changed her as a person. This one felt less like an interview and more like two people who've seen each other grow up in this industry, finally putting it all on the table. --- Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. --- 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:39 - One New Thing Morgan is Learning This Year 00:04:30 - How Hebba and Morgan Met 00:15:59 - How Hebba and Morgan Have Learned From Each Other Over the Years 00:21:44 - When Morgan Stepped Into Hebba’s Old Role 00:36:24 - What Changes Did Morgan Make After Stepping Into Hebba’s Old Role? 00:41:51 - How Morgan’s Relationship With Power and Responsibility Have Evolved 00:48:45 - How Morgan’s Role Has Changed Her --- And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. ⁠https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/⁠ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out ⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here⁠ for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgantstanley/⁠ Follow Hebba: YouTube:⁠ https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos⁠ LinkedIn:⁠ https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef⁠ Twitter:⁠ https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Retirement planning is one of those topics that always feels confusing and overwhelming…until someone finally comes along and breaks it down in a way that makes sense. In this episode, I'm joined by Melissa Elbert from Aon to talk about why so many retirement strategies are lowkey failing employees, the outdated assumptions driving bad benefit decisions, and what HR and finance leaders should be paying attention to right now, before it becomes a bigger problem later. If you've ever felt like retirement was a gray area nobody fully explained to you, this might give you a better understanding! Aon’s Human Capital capabilities help organizations make confident workforce decisions by connecting advisory, insights and data across health benefits, talent and retirement. By aligning people strategies to business outcomes, we enable leaders to drive engagement, manage program sustainability, and build a resilient workforce ready for what’s next. Learn more at Aon.com 00:01:40 - How Leaders Should Rethink Retirement Decisions 00:03:10 - Outdated Assumptions About Retirement 00:09:16 - How Orgs Can Balance Flexibility and Sustainability 00:13:40 - What Signals Should HR Leaders be Looking to Now to Make Smarter, Long-term Retirement Decisions? 00:20:25 - What Role Should HR be Playing With Finance When Accessing Benefits? 00:24:26 - One Retirement-related Decision Companies Keep Getting Wrong And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Melissa: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-elbert-b709b65/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Today, we're talking about a topic that shouldn't be controversial but somehow still is, which is being authentic at work! As most of you already know, most workplaces either treat authenticity like a performance or punish you the second you actually show up as yourself. I'm joined by Madison Butler, who literally wrote a book about this, and we're getting into why authenticity feels so dangerous, why corporate America says they want it but freaks out when you deliver, and how to practice authenticity without tanking your career. If you've ever felt like you're performing a version of yourself at work instead of just existing, you’ll probably relate to this discussion! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠ to learn more. (00:00:00) Intro (00:04:53) Something New Madison Wants to Learn This Year (00:09:12) What Prompted Madison to Publish a Book? (00:14:45) What Authenticity at Work Means in 2026 (00:25:00) Why Does Being Authentic at Work Still Feel Dangerous for So Many People? (00:30:25) Madison’s Personal “Toolkit” (00:36:55) Is the Average Exec Constantly Trying to Grow, or Complacent in Their Power? (00:45:37) Building Authenticity at Work Without Turning it Into Weird Cultural Theater (00:48:36) How to Practice Authenticity in a Way That is Safe and Strategic If you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Madison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bluehairedunicorn/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I'm doing something a little different today and revisiting Season 6 where I asked every single guest the same question: “What's one thing HR folks should rethink?” And honestly, I've been in this whole new and rethinking era lately, writing about it in the newsletter, talking about it nonstop on the pod, and it just felt like the right time to bring these answers back because, let's be real, we all need the reminder! Work is changing faster than it's ever changed before, which means the cadence of how we think about things has to change too. Sometimes I genuinely worry that the solutions I built six weeks ago don't even work for today, let alone six months ago! So consider this your dose of inspiration, hearing from some of my favorite guests on all the things we should be rethinking. Hopefully it sparks something in you, or at the very least, makes you feel less alone in the chaos. Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠ to learn more. 00:01:28 - Improving Equitable Operations in Your Org 00:04:01 - Just Be Honest About Your Culture to Candidates 00:13:35 - Embracing People’s Passions Outside of Work 00:16:42 - When Leaders Are a Common Blocker to HR 00:18:52 - Finally Holding Leaders Accountable 00:21:55 - Why HR Should be Thought of as a Creative Department 00:23:27 - Addressing Employee Turnover and Going Back to the Basics And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow DeMario: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/demario-bell-7a510994/ Follow Joel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joellalgee/ Follow Justin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingignac/ Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbwilliams/ Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Nikki: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkirap/ Follow Halai: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halai-shukran/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

We're out here constantly hearing that Gen Z is "so different" and Millennials "just don't get it," but nobody ever stops to ask how or why they're different. It's not because we're lazy or entitled (though I know that's everyone's favorite narrative). It's because we looked at the leadership systems y'all built, said absolutely not, and decided to burn it all down and start over! Amanda Litman and I got into the leadership myths that are finally dying, why vulnerability isn't a weakness, how social media completely changed what leadership looks like, and why so many of us refuse to let our jobs become our entire personality. This episode is for anyone who's ever felt gaslit for having boundaries, anyone who's been told they're "too much" for expecting basic humanity in the workplace, and anyone who knows the way things have always been done is not the way things should keep being done. Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠ to learn more. 00:05:41 - One New Thing Amanda Wants to Learn This Year 00:15:07 - Why Are Leadership Myths Continue to Persist? 00:20:51 - Seeing More Representation in Entertainment Media and Exec Boards 00:26:41 - What Earned Authority Looks Like Now vs a Decade Ago 00:29:36 - Where Orgs Consistently Misread Next Gen Employees 00:36:41 - How Younger Generations Manage Power Struggles 00:42:46 - How Loyalty is Perceived Among Different Generations And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Amanda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandalitman/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Why does work feel so empty right now? Like…we followed the rules and did the hustle. We even swallowed parts of ourselves to survive professionally, and yet, here we are grieving something we can’t quite name. I often say that the most interesting things about me have nothing to do with my career, and it’s nice when those things have time to shine, y’know? I sat down with Ayanna Kelly to dig into the hard stuff: why we're all grieving the workplace we thought we'd have, why monetizing our passions sometimes kills the joy, and what it actually means to decenter work from our identity when we've spent our whole lives tying our worth to our job titles. If you’re looking for new definitions of success that don't require you to sacrifice your entire nervous system, this is for you! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠ to learn more. It’s vulnerable, but somehow still hopeful 00:01:55 - The First Time Hebba Met Ayanna 00:08:40 - Something New Ayanna Wants to Learn This Year 00:11:15 - Why Does Fulfillment at Work Feel so Hard Right Now? 00:17:06 - What We’re Grieving About Work That We Haven’t Talked About Out Loud 00:24:51 - Why Are We Expected to Monetize Our Passions? 00:38:40 - Being Your True Self at Work After Years of Emotional Suppression 00:46:55 - Why Meaningful Work Doesn’t Have to Be Central to Your Identity 00:52:49 - Ayanna’s Advice for Rethinking About Fulfillment And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Ayanna: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayannaskelly/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

I’ve been thinking a lot about how aggressively we were sold the idea of career growth, and how nobody ever explained what happens when you get there and it still doesn’t feel good! This episode is a big, honest reset on what careers even mean these days, because the whole traditional career ladder thing hasn’t been the same since the early 2020’s. Cassandra Babilya and I talk about why stability is basically a myth now, why doing everything “right” doesn’t guarantee fulfillment, and why portfolio careers, flexibility, and values are replacing titles and ladders. If your definition of success is quietly changing and you’re wondering how you can define it in a way that fits the times, come listen to our chat! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠ to learn more. 00:01:53 - Something New Cassandra Wants to Learn This Year 00:04:06 - Why Traditional Career Ladders are Kinda Broken These Days 00:09:42 - What Does a Modern Career Actually Look Like Today? 00:17:22 - What Skills Matter More Than Job Titles? 00:27:52 - Should HR be Giving Different Career Advice to Early Career People Now? 00:35:18 - Redefining Professional Success in the Modern Era 00:38:56 - Why Are We Still Pretending Career Progression is the Same? 00:42:35 - How to Approach the Idea of Reshaping Career Paths And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Cassandra: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-babilya/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

This week I’m feeling extremely pop-culture-brained because my fav show Industry is back, and if you think it’s just a show about finance…I’m here to inform you it’s actually a horror story about work. We’re talking: ambition with zero guardrails, power with zero accountability, jobs becoming entire identities way too early, and the whole nine yards. From an HR lens, it’s equal parts fascinating and deeply unsettling, but there are plenty of valuable takeaways nonetheless! I brought back my fellow Industry lover and friend, Dave Garcia, to unpack what the show gets right, what it exaggerates, and why it feels uncomfortably familiar. Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit ⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠ to learn more. 00:04:17 - How Hebba and Dave Started Watching Industry 00:05:37 - One New Thing Dave Wants to Learn This Year 00:08:17 - What Industry Says About Work, and Why We’re Talking About It 00:20:38 - How Grind Culture Reveals Socialized Dysfunction 00:31:06 - Accepting Status in Exchange for Safety 00:38:53 - How Power Affects Corporate Dynamics 00:49:32 - What Industry Gets Right About How Meritocracy Actually Works 00:59:57 - The Critiques of Hustle Culture 01:08:20 - What Industry Reveals About What Most Workplace Conversations Avoid 01:13:01 - Uncomfortable Conversations Industry Might Force You to Have And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Dave: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nycddg/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Welcome to a new season of your favorite podcast!!! It’s the new year, which means the internet is yelling about new goals, new strategies, and new tools, while HR is still over here duct-taping broken systems and being told (once again) to do more with less. So this season, I picked a very simple theme: NEW. New ideas. New rules. New levels of honesty about what’s actually working and what needs to be dragged out back and retired. We’re kicking things off with an Ins and Outs episode, which is basically the stuff HR has been whispering about in group chats. And because this topic deserved real honesty, I brought back my favorite fellow shit-talker, Jessica Winder! Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance. Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success. Visit quantumworkplace.com to learn more. 0:05:44 - Something New Jessica Wants to Learn This Year 0:12:23 - Ins and Outs, Inspired by TikTok 0:21:23 - Clarity Around Learning Skills vs Vibes-based Expectations 0:28:48 - Stop Assuming Everybody Wants to be Managers 0:35:27 - AI as a Co-pilot vs a Human Replacement 0:40:25 - Hiring Fewer, Better Defined Roles vs Overhiring 0:40:25 - Stop Pretending Pay is Not a Cultural Issue 0:56:45 - Why HR Needs a POV, Not Neutrality And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay, we made it! WHEW. Welcome to the final episode of I Hate It Here for 2025, which feels both celebratory and mildly unhinged. This episode is me doing what I do best: yappin with people I deeply admire and respect, asking them about their wishes for HR in 2026…while also openly admitting that I’m lowkey a little scared of what’s coming next. The market is weird AF, recruiters are exhausted, candidates are frustrated, and the tools are absolutely not keeping up! But instead of spiraling alone (okay, spiraling less), I wanted to end the year by bringing some of my fav people together, because the only reason I’m still standing in this job is community, collective honesty, and the belief that if we keep talking about what’s actually happening, HR might just survive, and maybe even win. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:00:36 - Cassandra Babilya’s Wish for 2026 0:13:05 - Stacey Nordwall’s Wish for 2026 0:20:26 - Morgan Williams’s Wish for 2026 0:25:38 - Cassidy Edward’s Wish for 2026 0:32:36 - Tara Turk-Haynes’s Wish for 2026 And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Cassandra: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassandra-babilya/ Follow Stacey: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staceynordwall/ Follow Morgan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganbwilliams/ Follow Cassidy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassidy-edwards-yyom/ Follow Tara: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ttaraturkhaynes/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Raise your hand if you’ve worked in a toxic environment before! That’s probably 99.9% of you, so today we’re talking about those negative environments that get inside your nervous system and refuse to leave quietly. The kind that turn you into a hyper-vigilant, over-prepared shell of yourself who flinches at a sporadic calendar invite titled “Quick Sync.” I brought back one of my favorite humans, close friend, returning guest, and resident shit talker Chris Hagood, because he actually understands the emotional underlayer of work, and I don’t mean just the LinkedIn version. We get into how toxic cultures shape your identity, follow you long after you leave, and what it takes to unlearn survival mode when chaos becomes your baseline. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:02:43 - How Lived Experiences Shape Your Reaction to Toxicity at Work 0:08:30 - Minimizing Toxicity Because You’re Conditioned to “Just Deal With It” 0:14:44 - Why Old Patterns Get Reactivated in Toxic Workplaces 0:17:20 - Why People Doubt Themselves More After a Toxic Job and Not During 0:20:27 - The First Step to Undoing a Toxic Environment 0:40:37 - How Toxicity Distorts Your Sense of Value, Competence, or Belonging 0:45:24 - How Tolerating Toxic Behavior Creates Long-term Damage 0:48:07 - What Habits Stick With You After Surviving a Toxic Workplace? 0:51:58 - Advice to People Currently Working in a Toxic Environment And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Chris: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisrhagood/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Listen, I tried so hard not to cry recording this episode. Today George Boone and I are talking about grief, the thing that HR loves to pretend can be solved with a three-day bereavement policy and a sad little “OOO.” But grief is messy and human and shows up everywhere: in how you work, lead, love, set boundaries, and literally get out of bed. George and I both carry losses that changed us forever, and instead of shoving that into the corporate void, we’re unpacking what it actually means to keep showing up while your heart is busy learning a whole new shape. It’s honest. It’s tender. And somehow…it’s also hopeful. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 00:04:27 - Yes, George Boone IS Related to Daniel Boone and Benson Boone 00:08:43 - The Grief That Shaped George the Most as a Person 00:16:45 - How Grief Shows up at Work 00:27:38 - How Grief Shows up in Your Style of Leadership 00:34:03 - The Loneliness That Comes With Grief 00:39:32 - Functioning at Work While You’re Experiencing Grief 00:58:02 - How Grief Makes You Softer/Sharper And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow George: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelboone/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Workplace culture rewires us in ways that could take a whole lifetime to understand. It shapes our identity, confidence, authority issues, communication style, and even how we show up outside of work without realizing it! And Jessie Stettin and I go there: your real life shows up at work too, influencing how you lead, handle conflict, and how you interpret every “quick chat” from your boss. Who would have thought that things you did as a child still influence your work identity in such sneaky ways??? Culture is this invisible exchange constantly happening in both directions, shaping you while you’re shaping it…whether you signed up for it or not. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠here. 0:05:00 - How Jessie Became an End-of-Life Doula 0:10:09 - Childhood Rules We Assumed Still Applied at Work, But Don’t 0:18:50 - Lessons About Authority and Belonging at Work 0:26:41 - Cultures That Have Shaped How Jessie Thinks About Success 0:36:47 - Being Stuck in an Environment Where You Feel Like You Don’t Belong 0:42:43 - A Point in Your Career When You Can Influence Your Culture 0:56:02 - How Jessie Would Redesign How People Socialize at Work And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessiestettin/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Belonging at work is one of those things everyone claims to care about… right up until someone shows up as their full self and suddenly it’s “not professional!” I hate the idea that someone has to assimilate to belong, so Erica Lydell and I pull the curtain all the way back on masking, identity, neurodiversity, and why belonging is less warm fuzzy feeling and more daily emotional CrossFit. If you’ve ever been the only one in the room (or felt like you had to earn your seat) this episode will hit you square in the gut…in a good way! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠⁠here. 0:02:23 - Erica’s Experience Riding a Camel 0:07:02 - Learning That Belonging at Work Isn’t Automatic 0:10:02 - Having to Mute Yourself in Professional Settings 0:18:13 - The Concept of Professionalism 0:26:59 - What Does Belonging at Work Feel Like? 0:42:01 - What Leaders Need to Understand About How Identities Impact How People Show up at Work 0:49:29 - Where to Find Erica And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Erica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-lydell-b0933840/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Okay, friends…this episode is pure fun (okay, a little usual chaos too) in the best way, because I sat down with my actual direct report, Madison Montgomery, who confessed ON AIR that she has never listened to my podcast. And honestly? Fair. We talk generational gaps (including the infamous “generational shits” typo I will never emotionally recover from) and the magical Venn diagram that forms when an HR Millennial and a Gen Z truther try to get work done together. It’s lowkey unhinged, but I hope some of you have this much fun with your own direct reports! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠⁠here. 0:01:34 - Hebba Prepares to be Questioned 0:10:09 - Things People Ops Leaders Get Wrong Early in Their Career 0:19:13 - Inheriting Madision as a Direct Report 0:25:39 - How Hebba’s Management Style Evolved Over the Years 0:37:07 - Things Hebba Has Learned From Madison 0:47:10 - Rapid Fire Questions And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Madison: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madison-montgomery14/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

This episode might be my most unhinged and enlightening one yet. The first half is a live coaching session where I fully spiral about my impatience and need for constant clarity (yes, I’m aware of the irony). In the second half, we go deep on how your leadership style isn’t just who you are, but it’s who work and past experiences have trained you to be. My guest, leadership coach Mary Pat Jacobs, helps me unpack the mess with empathy, humor, and more therapy-adjacent insights than I was emotionally prepared for. Buckle up and get ready to take some notes, friends! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠here. 0:04:12 - The Coaching Agreement 0:07:42 - Determining Success During Coaching 0:18:41 - The Story Hebba Tells Herself About Disappointment 0:27:23 - How Feeling Disappointment Impacts Hebba 0:42:31 - Patterns that Most OFten Shape How Leaders Show up at Work 0:46:21 - How Early Career Experiences Subtly Shape Default Leadership Styles 0:51:22 - Helping Separate Who People Are From What Work Taught Them to Be 0:54:28 - A Belief Most Professionals Need to Unlearn to Grow And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Mary: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marypatjacobs/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, I know sometimes we like to pretend work exists in its own little bubble, but in reality, the world outside your office door affects…A LOT at work. This week, I’m joined by my friend and returning guest Dave Garcia to talk about how immigration, inflation, and global chaos are all shaping company culture in real time. We’re unpacking what it means to lead when people are scared, burned out, or just tired of pretending things are “fine.” Because the truth is that employees crave predictability in unpredictable times, and it’s on leaders to step up, define the mission, and actually mean what they say! So if your company culture feels a little shaky lately, this one’s for you. Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out here. 0:02:47 - The Ripple Effect Immigration Has Inside of Workplaces 0:10:08 - How the Displacement of People is Shaping How Employees Think About Belonging 0:22:21 - What Responsibilities do Employers Have to Create Safety for Immigrants? 0:30:58 - How Financial Pressures Like Inflation are Showing up at Work 0:47:47 - How World Events Like War, Protests, and Climate Disasters Show up at Work And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Dave: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nycddg/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

It’s that time of year again: spooky season! Which means Jessica Winder is back, I’ve got my pumpkin cold brew, and we’re diving headfirst into the terrifying (and somehow hilarious) world of HR horror stories. From mysterious “sick leaves” to love spells gone wrong, these are the tales that make you question how any of us still have jobs. Fair warning: if you thought your HR nightmares were bad…buckle up! 👻 Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out here. 0:00:57 - HR Horror Stories Intro 0:01:44 - Story One: Hit List Hotline 0:04:44 - Story Two: The Sick Leave That Wasn’t 0:07:26 - Story Three: The Extermination Incident 0:13:51 - Story Four: The Baby Onesie Stalker 0:22:09 - Story Five: The Lady in White 0:26:50 - Story Six: Love Spells and Employee Relations 0:26:50 - Story Seven: The Catastrophic Security Breach And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Jessica: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicadwinder/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Motherhood at work. Just saying that out loud makes my blood pressure spike a little, not gonna lie! Because being a mom already feels like the challenge of a lifetime, and then you add performance reviews, “flexibility” that’s anything but, and coworkers who suddenly forget how calendars work when daycare pickup time hits? It’s all mess! But motherhood also changes how folks lead, empathize, and show up, in ways that deserve way more respect than they get. This week, I sat down with Erin Grau, co-founder of Charter, to talk about the real cost (and quiet power) of being a mom at work, and what needs to change if we actually want to keep them there. 0:03:32 - One Part of Life Outside of Work That Shapes How You Show up at Work 0:06:16 - The Real Cost of Motherhood in the Workplace 0:09:06 - Has Erin Felt the Penalty of Being a Mom at Work Before? 0:13:51 - How Erin Changed When She Returned to Work After Becoming a Mother 0:21:50 - Why Does the Data Show that Moms Earn Less and Get Promoted Less Than Their Peers? 0:27:15 - How Performance Review and Manager Biases Play Into Motherhood 0:30:16 - One Company Policy That Can Change the Game for Mothers 0:38:28 - How Leaders Can Retain Working Mothers 0:45:17 - How Coworkers Can Foster Better Environments 0:53:27 - A Future of Work Designed With Moms at the Center Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out ⁠here. ⁠ And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Erin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eringrau/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

Look, I love a good policy binder as much as the next HR nerd (okay, maybe sometimes even more). But here’s the thing no one wants to say out loud: Sometimes the “right” answer on paper is actually the wrong move in real life. 🙃 In this episode, I sat down with Stephanie Schuler to talk about the messy, gray, can’t-Google-it moments where consistency, fairness, and actual human judgment all collide. The easy answers may not always exist, but the better ones do! Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. 0:02:34 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:04:37 - When Policies Aren’t Written for Edge Cases 0:06:13 - Does Law School Help with HR Practices? 0:07:48 - When Following a Policy Actually Causes Harm 0:11:21 - Who Should Have the Power to Override Policy? 0:15:13 - Consistency Vs Fairness 0:19:21 - Keeping Exceptions From Turning Into Favoritism 0:22:25 - What to Say to a CEO Who Only Wants Things “By the Book” 0:26:53 - Recovering From Broken Trust 0:31:08 - Is HR the Enforcer of Policy, or the Translator? 0:35:48 - Breaking Rules as an HR Manager 0:41:46 - One Policy Stephanie Wishes Never Existed And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Stephanie: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdshuler/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef