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In episode 258, Coffey talks with Blair Doran about the “Great Flattening” of middle management, AI adoption in HR, and the thawing job market's impact on employee retention.
They discuss the Great Flattening and the causes of middle management cuts; the risk of losing institutional culture and coaching capacity when middle managers are eliminated; poor selection criteria for promoting individual contributors into management roles without leadership training; AI adoption shifting employee self-service away from managers and freeing them for strategic work; HR's evolving role in understanding business operations rather than acting purely as a compliance gatekeeper; state-level AI employment law developments in Colorado, Illinois, and New York amid federal disparate impact uncertainty; confidentiality and trade secret risks when employees use AI for brainstorming and content creation; a recent study comparing passive AI cut-and-paste use versus active AI collaboration on employee engagement and output quality; job security concerns and the thawing job market's effect on long-tenured employee retention; and proactive employee engagement strategies to prevent turnover before it becomes a retention crisis.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP258
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Blair Doran is the founder of Good HR, a consulting firm that helps small and mid-sized businesses build practical, people-focused HR programs that support growth while staying compliant. With more than 15 years of HR experience, Blair partners with leadership teams across a variety of industries on everything from employee relations, compliance, benefits, compensation, and leave management to recruiting, manager development, and organizational strategy.
What sets Blair apart is her ability to make HR approachable. She believes HR shouldn't just be about policies and paperwork—it should help businesses make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create workplaces where employees can do their best work.
As a trusted advisor to business owners and executives, Blair is known for bringing a practical, real-world perspective to today's workplace challenges, helping organizations navigate everything from complex compliance issues to evolving workforce trends.
When she's not supporting clients, Blair enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and toy poodle, Teddy, on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
Blair Doran can be reached at:
https://goodhumanresource.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/blairdoran
https://www.instagram.com/goodhrllc/
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the risks and tradeoffs of cutting middle management layers in response to AI adoption and cost pressures. Identify the leadership and confidentiality safeguards organizations need when integrating AI into HR and business workflows. Apply proactive retention strategies to re-engage employees before job market conditions accelerate voluntary turnover. -
In episode 257, Coffey talks with Elizabeth Ledoux about talent considerations in business succession planning.
They discuss why most succession plans fail because leaders ignore employee emotions and organizational culture; how owners and successors can align around a shared vision for the future of the company; the importance of involving employees early in transition conversations to reduce fear and turnover risk; the concept of “Transition 3.0” and collaborative succession planning between owners and future leaders; how multi-year transition roadmaps improve leadership development and business continuity; balancing founder identity, emotional attachment, and letting go of operational control; strategies for transferring institutional knowledge and mentoring future owners over time; creating succession-focused company cultures that continuously develop future leaders; why delegation and role transition should become an ongoing organizational habit; and how HR and operations leaders can proactively support leadership continuity and organizational resilience.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP257
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Elizabeth Ledoux is the founder of The Transition Strategists and creator of the Transition 3.0 methodology. Over the past 30 years, she's helped hundreds of family and private business owners navigate succession, focusing on the relationship challenges that cause most transitions to fail.
Elizabeth started her career as a petroleum engineer before founding several businesses and moving into strategy consulting. She's a sought-after speaker on business succession and family business dynamics, host of the Business Transition Roadmap podcast, and co-author of three books, including the award-winning It's A Journey, The MUST-HAVE Roadmap to Successful Succession Planning. She's also part of Tiger 21, bringing her expertise to a network of high-net-worth entrepreneurs and investors.
Currently, Elizabeth is living what she teaches—navigating her own family's ranch transition with her brother while also planning the long-term transition of her own consulting firm. She leads a team of trained Guides who help business owners build the strategic foundation for transition, making sure the people side is solid before bringing in lawyers and accountants.
Her work helps families stay together and successors—whether family or non-family—step into their roles with clarity and support.
Elizabeth Ledoux can be reached at:
https://transitionstrategists.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/transitionstrategists
https://www.facebook.com/thetransitionstrategists
https://www.instagram.com/transtionstrategists
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfcH2Be31Mr1laOZ6KZXDNA
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the human and cultural factors that commonly derail business succession plans. Develop long-term transition roadmaps that align owners, successors, and employees. Implement succession-focused leadership development practices that strengthen organizational continuity. -
Saknas det avsnitt?
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For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP252
In episode 256, Coffey talks with Leslie Speas about developing high-retention managers who improve employee engagement, accountability, trust, and workplace culture through intentional leadership habits.
They discuss promoting high-performing employees into leadership roles without proper management training; emotional intelligence and self-awareness as foundational leadership competencies; connecting employees to organizational purpose and mission-driven work; building workplace trust through consistency, humility, and integrity; coaching employees through questions instead of problem-solving; accountability systems that improve performance and retention; effective communication strategies for managers and team leaders; employee recognition and appreciation practices that reinforce company values; empathy and flexibility in supporting employee wellbeing and mental health; leadership development frameworks that strengthen organizational culture and productivity; practical feedback models including the BEAN and BET communication methods; performance management processes that move beyond annual reviews; balancing individual contributor career growth with leadership readiness assessments.
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Leslie Speas is a seasoned Human Resources and Organizational Development leader with over 30 years of experience. She serves as Founder and President of InfluenceHR Consulting, a firm dedicated to helping leaders and HR teams build workplaces where people will thrive and stay.
Leslie holds a master’s degree in industrial/organizational psychology and possesses senior-level HR designations and certifications in coaching, the Working Genius, Enneagram assessment, and Talent Management/Succession Planning. Her leadership experience spans diverse sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, technology, financial services, and nonprofit organizations. In addition, she is the author of the book, 7 Habits of High-Retention Managers.
Leslie is heavily involved in furthering the HR profession and serves as a District Director with the North Carolina Society for Human Resources Management. She and her husband, Tracy, reside in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Leslie Speas can be reached at:
https://www.influencehrconsulting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-speas
https://www.facebook.com/influencehrconsulting
https://www.instagram.com/influencehrconsulting
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdH17Da_dvt_UFpRNmUvqrQ
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the leadership habits that improve employee retention and engagement. Apply coaching and feedback techniques that strengthen accountability and trust. Evaluate leadership readiness before promoting employees into management roles. -
In episode 255, Coffey talks with Teri Chilcoat about navigating and recovering from toxic workplace environments while building healthier organizational cultures.
They discuss defining toxic workplace dynamics beyond legal thresholds and into lived employee experience; recognizing psychological and physical symptoms of chronic workplace stress and burnout; understanding the toxic triangle of leaders, followers, and culture enabling dysfunction; applying personal agency and stoic principles to regain control in adverse environments; building leadership accountability systems that reinforce values and ethical behavior; identifying disengagement signals and preventing employee turnover through proactive management; evaluating why high-performing individual contributors often fail as managers; fostering self-awareness and emotional intelligence as core leadership competencies; addressing the hidden costs of toxic high performers on team morale and retention; preparing organizations for potential waves of turnover driven by disengagement and economic shifts.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP255
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Teri Chilcoat is the author of Surviving the Toxic Workplace from an HR Insider: A Roadmap to Power, Peace, and Happiness, a practical guide that exposes the hidden dynamics behind toxic work cultures and offers a clear path for professionals who want to reclaim their voice, well-being, and sense of purpose at work. Drawing from more than 15 years of experience in human resources, Teri combines real-world insight with research-backed strategies to help employees and leaders recognize the patterns that lead to burnout, disengagement, and silence in the workplace—and what to do about them.
As the founder of Inner Authority Co., Teri has spent her career advising executives, managers, and employees through complex workplace challenges including employee relations issues, culture breakdowns, leadership conflict, and burnout recovery. Her work centers on a simple but often overlooked idea: sustainable performance and healthy workplaces begin when individuals reclaim their inner authority.
Building on the lessons from her book, Teri delivers her keynote, “Retention Signals: What Employees Need to Stay (and What HR Can Fix Fast),” where she challenges conventional thinking about workplace well-being and shows leaders how to recognize the early signals of disengagement before employees walk out the door. Through real-world examples and practical tools, she helps organizations shift from reactive retention strategies to proactive leadership.
She also leads the BOLD Roadmap Workshop, which equips professionals and organizations with a structured framework for self-awareness, authentic leadership, and long-term, sustainable success.
Teri holds a Master of Science in Strategic Human Resources from the University of Denver and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of La Verne. She maintains professional certifications from both HRCI and SHRM and has been an active member of DallasHR since 2015.
Teri Chilcoat can be reached at
https://www.innerauthoritycompany.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-chilcoat-phr
https://www.facebook.com/tchilcoat
https://www.instagram.com/tchilcoat
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the behavioral and organizational indicators of a toxic workplace. Apply self-awareness and agency to navigate high-stress work environments. Develop leadership practices that promote accountability, engagement, and retention. -
In episode 254, Coffey talks with David Miklas about rapidly changing employment law trends surrounding DEI programs, EEOC enforcement priorities, workplace discrimination claims, AI risks in HR investigations, and the evolving legal landscape employers face in 2026.
They discuss the EEOC’s proposal to eliminate EEO-1 reporting requirements and how demographic data impacts systemic discrimination claims; the legal distinction between lawful diversity efforts and illegal DEI employment practices; reverse discrimination lawsuits and Title VII protections for all employees regardless of majority or minority status; the risks of workforce balancing, quotas, and race-conscious hiring decisions; employee resource groups and affinity programs that may unintentionally create unlawful workplace segregation; recent federal court rulings on DEI training, race-based programming, and compelled speech claims; practical recruiting strategies for expanding applicant pools without violating discrimination laws; how employers can maintain merit-based hiring while improving diversity outreach efforts; the increasing role of AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated media in workplace investigations and litigation; discovery risks involving ChatGPT prompts, AI-generated HR documentation, and employment decisions; AI-related hiring fraud, fake applicants, and remote interview concerns; legal concerns around confidentiality, metadata, and AI-generated evidence; and management failures highlighted by viral Reddit workplace stories involving poor supervision, accommodations, and employee performance management.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP254
Media mentioned in this podcast:
The JPMorgan Sexual Assault Lawsuit Was Already Messy. AI Is Making It Worse
Reddit: Anyone Hire a Recruiter to Recruit Away a Problem
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
David Miklas owns a Labor & Employment law firm and for 27 years he has practiced all types of labor and employment law exclusively representing Florida employers. He has written hundreds of employment law articles, is the co-author for the premier legal textbook used by lawyers for Florida employment law, is a frequent employment law presenter and is a nationally recognized speaker and an invited guest lecturer addressing employment law and human resource issues with over thirty universities, including Harvard. Mr. Miklas graduated from the University of Florida College of Law.
David Miklas can be reached at
https://www.miklasemploymentlaw.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-miklas-301861121/
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Distinguish between lawful diversity initiatives and illegal employment discrimination practices. Identify emerging AI-related legal risks affecting workplace investigations and HR decision-making. Apply practical management and recruiting strategies that reduce discrimination and compliance risks. -
In episode 253, Coffey talks with Anthony Sork about how emotional attachment during onboarding shapes employee engagement, retention, and organizational performance.
They discuss the difference between employee attachment and employee engagement; how onboarding experiences create long-term emotional bonds with organizations; the role frontline managers play in employee retention and discretionary effort; why poor manager engagement creates downstream hiring and retention risks; how employer branding influences attachment before candidates even apply; the impact of lengthy recruiting processes on candidate perception and trust; why organizations should treat onboarding as a strategic investment; the four core attachment perceptions of security, trust, acceptance, and belonging; how emotional bonds form during the first 120 days of employment; practical ways leaders can strengthen employee connection and purpose alignment; the risks of unmanaged onboarding and declining new-hire sentiment; why traditional engagement surveys are lagging indicators of workplace culture; and how individualized onboarding experiences improve retention and team performance.
Mentioned in this episode:
Qualtrics’ 2026 Global Employee Experience Trends https://www.qualtrics.com/ebooks-guides/employee-experience-trends/** Special Offer From Our Guest **
We are pleased to offer a complimentary trial of the Employee Attachment Inventory for an employee who has commenced and who reaches their 90th day of employment in the months of May, June, or July 2026.
Visit www.shcBOND.com and use this code: GoodMorningHREAI2026
Or email Anthony Sork ([email protected])or Selina Sork ([email protected]) with questions.
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
As a world recognized thought leader in employee perception measurement, Anthony Sork has changed the way organizations understand “Engagement” across the employee lifecycle. Anthony has worked with leaders across all industries to help them understand, measure and manage the emotional bond of their talent to enhance performance and retention and build “Culture’s of Excellence’.
Anthony’s award winning patented instrument, the Employee Attachment Inventory (EAI) together with the Employee Connection Inventory (ECI) and Employee Detachment Inventory (EDI) have supported thousands of Managers globally to create highly engaged, high performance teams.
Anthony has spoken at leading industry conferences around the world. His audiences describe him as “expert”, “upbeat”, “articulate”, “engaging”, “entertaining” and “passionate”.
Anthony has been featured in the Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, Management Today, Human Capital Magazine, Recruitment Extra & ABC Radio.
You can learn more about Employee Attachment, Connection and Detachment across Anthony’s social media channels which attract a worldwide audience.
Anthony Sork can be reached at:
www.SorkHC.com.au
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the difference between employee attachment and employee engagement. Identify the leadership behaviors that strengthen emotional bonds with new hires. Evaluate onboarding practices that improve retention, trust, and belonging. Recognize the long-term organizational risks of poor manager engagement. -
In episode 252, Coffey talks with Beverly Parker about how recruiting and talent acquisition are evolving and why relationship-based recruiting still matters.
They discuss the shift from newspaper job ads, to Monster, to today’s AI-powered recruiting platforms; why “post and pray” or “post and spray” recruiting fails to attract high-quality passive candidates; how recruiters use professional networks to identify specialized talent faster; the growing impact of AI-generated resumes and fraudulent job applicants; why recruiters should avoid over-relying on AI resume filtering tools; strategies for sourcing passive candidates in competitive hiring markets; the value of agency recruiters for hard-to-fill and specialized positions; how employers can improve hiring processes during a frozen labor market; candidate expectations around compensation, flexibility, and work-life balance; why transparency about career growth opportunities improves retention and hiring outcomes; the increasing importance of training and development in workforce planning; how younger workers want meaningful work and stronger onboarding support; the importance of hiring for adaptability and learning agility instead of static skills; lessons from building recruiting functions inside growing organizations; and how long-term recruiter relationships create stronger organizational outcomes than transactional placements.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP252
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Beverly Parker is an accomplished HR leader and recruiter with over 15 years of experience connecting top talent with tier-one employers. She has built a reputation for aligning high-performing candidates with organizations that value growth, culture, and long-term success.
Her work is grounded in a results-driven approach to talent acquisition and workforce development, with a strong focus on building strategic partnerships across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Beverly actively collaborates with leading professional organizations, including Fort Worth HR, MidCities HR, Dallas HR, APA, and FEI, to stay at the forefront of industry trends and talent needs.
A dedicated advocate of servant leadership, Beverly is committed to fostering environments where individuals and teams can perform at their highest level. She holds both PHR and SHRM-CP certifications.
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how modern talent acquisition differs from traditional recruiting models. Evaluate when organizations should use internal recruiters versus external recruiting agencies. Identify strategies for attracting passive candidates in competitive labor markets. Recognize the risks and limitations of AI-driven recruiting and screening systems. Improve hiring processes by aligning candidate motivations with organizational realities. Develop recruiting approaches that prioritize long-term fit over transactional hiring. Explore how training, onboarding, and development affect employee engagement and retention. Assess how labor market uncertainty influences candidate and employer behavior. Learn how recruiters can identify transferable skills and high-potential candidates. Understand why adaptability and learning agility are becoming critical hiring criteria. -
In episode 251, Coffey talks with Jennifer Yugo about why traditional interviews fail to identify top candidates and how competency-based, structured hiring improves outcomes.
They discuss the ineffectiveness of unstructured interviews and reliance on intuition in hiring decisions; confirmation bias and overconfidence in manager-led candidate selection processes; building competency-based hiring frameworks grounded in real job performance data; differences between skills and competencies in evaluating candidate success; designing structured interviews with behavioral and situational questions; aligning hiring processes with organizational culture and values; leveraging applications and assessments to enhance candidate evaluation consistency; improving hiring manager adoption through usability and stakeholder involvement; measuring hiring success through turnover, efficiency, and process compliance metrics; balancing candidate experience with standardized hiring systems for fairness.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP251
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Jennifer Yugo is a seasoned professional in building exceptional workplaces and business environments. With a 20-year career and her experience as Managing Director and Owner at Corvirtus, she applies science-driven frameworks to develop tools that enhance employee performance and engagement. Her leadership is instrumental in advancing the company's offerings in solutions including employee retention, hiring, and culture-building.
Jennifer's expertise is grounded in her comprehensive knowledge of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, Human Resources, and Psychometrics.
She actively contributes to these fields through speaking engagements, writing, and presenting at conferences like DisruptHR.
Jennifer earned her PhD at Bowling Green State University’s nationally-ranked Industrial-Organizational Psychology program and her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with Highest Honors from Purdue University.
Jennifer Yugo can be reached at
https://corvirtus.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferyugo
https://www.youtube.com/@corvirtus1779
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the limitations of traditional, intuition-driven interview methods Apply competency-based frameworks to design structured hiring processes Evaluate candidates more effectively using behavioral and situational interview techniques -
In episode 250, Coffey talks with Justin Dorsey about recent HR-related new items including navigating politics, mental health, employees’ sometimes inflated compensation expectations, and the most in-demand HR skills.
They discuss managing political conversations and ideological conflict in the workplace; balancing employee expression with productivity and respectful communication; how HR leaders can create psychologically safe but performance-focused cultures; generational differences in resilience, stress, and mental health expectations; the growing importance of employee assistance programs and mental health leave awareness; how poor sleep hygiene and digital overload impact employee productivity and wellbeing; handling difficult compensation conversations and unrealistic salary increase demands; avoiding emotional decision-making during employee relations conflicts; why culture fit should evolve into culture add during hiring decisions; the increasing demand for HR technology, people analytics, and change management expertise; how artificial intelligence is reshaping HR roles and workforce management; and the future convergence of HR leadership with operational leadership responsibilities.
Media mentioned in this podcast:
The End of “No Politics at Work” and What Comes Next
Mental health leaves are rising. How can organizations reduce and better manage leaves? | Idaho Statesman
The 2026 Workplace Mental Health Annual Report | Spring Health
Employee demands a near 50% raise : r/managers
HR Career Outlook 2026: Is Your HR Career Future-Proof? - AIHR
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP250
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Justin brings a background of psychology and sociology into the world of HR. He is currently a fractional HR consultant for the Texas HR Team where he provides strategic HR support for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.
With extensive experience in a variety of industries, including retail, healthcare, distribution, and engineering, His expertise includes employee relations, talent acquisition, training, compensation, benefits, and employee engagement. He holds both a Senior Professional and Global Professional certification in Human Resources.
Outside of work, Justin is a dedicated volunteer at his church and other community organizations including Junior Achievement and F3. He’s a past president of Fort Worth HR and was recognized by the Fort Worth Business Press in their Top 40 Under 40 program. More importantly, he’s a husband of 1 and father of 2. Don’t get him started talking about chickens or Texas Tech sports.
Justin Dorsey can be reached at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-dorsey-sphr
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Evaluate strategies for managing political and social discourse in the workplace while maintaining productivity and respect. Identify practical ways HR leaders can support employee mental health without overstepping into clinical or therapeutic roles. Apply effective approaches for handling compensation disputes, employee dissatisfaction, and retention conversations. Understand how AI, HR analytics, and technology fluency are reshaping future HR career paths. -
In episode 249, Coffey talks with Jenay Huey about how growing businesses should approach HR strategy, outsourcing, and internal capability building.
They discuss why small businesses delay investing in HR until problems arise; misconceptions about HR as a cost center versus strategic function; differences between transactional HR tasks and long-term workforce strategy; when to hire in-house HR based on employee count and complexity; how to evaluate HR consultants and service level agreements; the role of benefits brokers, attorneys, and HRIS platforms; pros and cons of outsourcing HR functions and PEO arrangements; selecting and scaling HR technology systems effectively; building internal HR talent pipelines and succession planning; importance of business acumen and aligning HR initiatives with financial outcomes.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP249
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Jenay Huey, SHRM-SCP, PHR, is the President of Dunedin HR Solutions LLC and a seasoned Human Resources strategist dedicated to "putting the human back in HR." With a career built on helping organizations and employees, Jenay serves as a fractional CHRO, aligning HR policies with business vision to drive net income and team engagement. She is dedicated to serving small and medium size organizations.
She believes that all organizations deserve access to an HR professional that understands their organization, scales solutions to their size and culture and undertsands the employment compliance landscape.
Jenay has over 20 years of experience in HR and people operations. She has worked with organizations from small family run businesses to organizations with over 7000 employees. She received her B.A.Sc from the University of South Florida, holds several certifications including her SHRM-SCP and PHR from HRCI.
Jenay Huey can be reached at
https://www.dunedinhrsolutionsllc.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenay-huey
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094367457078
https://www.instagram.com/dunedin_hr_solutions_llc
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify when a growing company should invest in HR support or leadership Evaluate external HR resources, consultants, and PEOs effectively Design a scalable HR strategy that aligns with business growth and profitability -
In episode 248, Coffey talks with Damon Thompson about how student loan debt impacts employees and how employers can help reduce that burden through benefits programs and federal subsidies.
They discuss the history and evolution of federal student loan programs before and after the Affordable Care Act; rising college costs and lack of borrowing caps driving massive student debt growth; financial stress and productivity loss caused by high monthly loan payments; how income-driven repayment and federal subsidy programs reduce employee loan obligations; employer-sponsored student loan repayment benefits under Section 127 tax advantages; complexities and low success rates navigating Department of Education programs independently; public service loan forgiveness eligibility and long-term debt elimination strategies; how personal circumstances influence repayment calculations beyond income alone; the role of third-party services in optimizing loan subsidies and compliance; and the connection between student debt, employee retention, and delayed life milestones.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP248
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
After graduating from Austin College (Sherman Texas) in 1979 Damon immediately began his career working directly with the owners of closely held businesses and their H.R. teams.
Understanding the needs of both the employer and the employee he knows that not all employee benefits are “insurance” benefits needing employer funding.
Being familiar with Comprehensive Major Medical, Workers Compensation as well as Administration systems & software has allowed him to develop unique solutions for owners of those closely held companies and their HR teams.
This has also led to many speaking engagements in organizations such as Texas A&M Graduate School of Business, Work with Texas Legislators & Attorney General, Private Equity Association Convention (PEG-aplooza), and Numerous Chambers of Commerce across Texas.
Damon Thompson can be reached at https://www.finnita.com/
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how federal student loan programs evolved and why debt has increased significantly Identify the impact of student loan debt on employee productivity, retention, and financial wellbeing Evaluate employer strategies, including tax-advantaged benefits, to help employees manage student loans -
In episode 247, Coffey talks with Michelle Sims about building skills-first hiring pipelines and expanding apprenticeship models to address the early-career experience gap in the age of AI.
They discuss redefining entry-level work as automation reshapes junior roles; bridging the experience gap through apprenticeships and workforce development programs; expanding access for non-degree and nontraditional talent into corporate careers; differences between internships and apprenticeships in structure, pay, and outcomes; integrating mentorship, wraparound support, and structured training into early career pathways; challenges of adopting skills-first hiring and replacing degree-based proxies; designing fair and effective hiring assessments including project-based evaluations; measuring apprenticeship success through retention, productivity, and skill progression; the role of AI in shifting demand toward mid-career talent with technical experience; building inclusive hiring pipelines that expand access to underrepresented groups; and public policy efforts to scale apprenticeships and workforce development nationwide.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP247
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Michelle Sims is the CEO of YUPRO Placement, a skills-first placement firm advancing economic mobility for talent traditionally overlooked by the hiring system. She partners with corporate leaders to replace outdated practices with performance-driven, retention-ready workforce solutions.
A multi-year Staffing Industry Analyst Global Power 150 Women in Staffing honoree, Michelle serves on the American Staffing Association Women in Leadership Council and is a board member of the Harvard Kennedy School Women and Public Policy Program. Under her leadership, YUPRO Placement has earned industry-wide recognition for innovation, equity, and upskilling programs.
Michelle is a regular Forbes contributor and a respected voice in workforce strategy, advocating for inclusive, skills-first hiring that meets today’s talent demands and builds tomorrow’s teams.
Before joining YUPRO Placement, Michelle held senior executive roles across multiple industries and taught human resources and leadership development as an adjunct professor for 17 years. She holds a BBA from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Houston Christian University.
Michelle Sims can be reached at:
www.yupro.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellesims-
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how AI is reshaping entry-level roles and talent pipelines Evaluate the structure and benefits of apprenticeships versus internships Design skills-first hiring processes that prioritize competencies over credentials -
In episode 246, Coffey talks with Kelly Price about building effective people strategy in small and medium-sized businesses.
They discuss why small businesses often treat HR as administrative rather than strategic; hidden financial costs of poor hiring and turnover; aligning people strategy with business goals and growth plans; improving recruiting processes beyond staffing agencies; designing structured onboarding and performance management systems; adapting to rapid change including AI and post-COVID workplace shifts; generational differences in workplace expectations and engagement; balancing flexibility with accountability in modern work environments; leveraging institutional knowledge from long-tenured employees; identifying when to bring in HR consultants and how audits drive strategic alignment; developing leadership capabilities as organizations scale beyond founder control.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP###
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Kelly Price is a dynamic leader and the passionate founder of ThriveHR. Kelly's career is a testament to her dedication and love for helping others, beginning with a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management from Kansas State University.
Her professional journey started at Marriott International. It was here where she mastered the art of creating memorable experiences, igniting her passion for positively impacting people's lives, a core value she carries into her HR career.
Kelly's enriching path in Human Resources started as a recruiter. She found joy in helping individuals secure jobs and the ability to impact their lives and families. Climbing the corporate ladder, Kelly served in various critical roles, including Benefit Manager, Director of HR, and VP of HR. In these positions, she played a crucial role in reducing turnover, enhancing employee satisfaction, and reshaping people and HR strategies.
As a small business owner, Kelly now leverages her extensive experience to help other businesses excel through smart people decisions. With her energy and positivity, she ensures that every client interaction is impactful and meaningful.
Kelly Price can be reached at
www.thrivehrkc.com
www.linkedin.com/in/kellypricethrivehr
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand the business impact of treating HR as a strategic function rather than administrative. Identify practical ways to improve hiring, onboarding, and retention in growing organizations. Apply people strategy principles to adapt to workforce, generational, and technological changes. -
In episode 245, Coffey talks with Patrick Richter about news and media items from the past month, including emerging HR risks involving AI, workplace compliance, and employer liability.
They discuss legal risks of AI-driven hiring tools and potential age discrimination claims; nuances of disparate impact versus disparate treatment under employment law; employer responsibilities when using third-party HR technology platforms; cybersecurity threats targeting HR teams through fake job applications; evolving tactics like deepfakes and identity fraud in hiring processes; ADA compliance and handling employee health disclosures appropriately; importance of the interactive process in workplace accommodations; legal pitfalls of paternalistic employment decisions; wage deduction laws and why punitive pay docking is unlawful; and broader employee relations risks from poorly designed workplace policies.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP245
Media mentioned in this podcast:
Workday takes partial loss as judge refuses to dismiss claims in AI bias lawsuit | HR Dive
Fake Job Applications Used to Deliver Malware Targeting HR Teams - The420.in
EEOC: Restaurant fired worker who had seizure to allow her to ‘focus on’ her health | HR Dive
Is it legal for company to deduct wages for breaking internal rules? : r/AskLegal
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Patrick Richter helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance.
He helps employers and executives navigate high-stakes employment and workplace issues with practical, business-minded legal guidance.
Patrick is an experienced employment attorney, litigator, and certified mediator, with a practice that spans first-chair trial work, strategic counseling, and transactional support. He advises on the full range of day-to-day HR and workforce issues, and he regularly partners with business leaders during critical moments—from growth and restructuring to disputes that threaten people, culture, or enterprise value.
Patrick Richter can be reached at
https://rigbyslack.com/attorney/pat-richter/
www.linkedin.com/in/pat-richter-986b19About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how AI-driven hiring tools can create unintended legal exposure. Identify proper employer responses to employee health disclosures under ADA. Implement heightened cybersecurity training to guard against new attack methods. -
In episode 244, Coffey talks with Dr. Jason Jones about how leaders must adapt their thinking and behavior to navigate the rapid disruption caused by artificial intelligence.
They discuss why AI represents a step-change disruption compared to past technology waves; growing workforce resistance and fear surrounding AI adoption in organizations; how enterprise AI systems will soon integrate SOPs, training, and operational knowledge; the neuroscience behind fear, uncertainty, and cognitive rigidity during change; why leaders must develop cognitive adaptability and emotional regulation; the concept of neuro-adaptive leadership and upgrading the brain’s operating system; attuning to disruption through proactive awareness and disruption scanning; decoding thought patterns and identifying hidden biases that block innovation; aligning leadership identity with values to guide behavior under pressure; using reflection, reframing, and replacement to rewire thinking through neuroplasticity; and how leaders can model adaptive thinking to help teams thrive during uncertainty.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP244
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Dr. Jones equips leaders and teams with science-based strategies to activate peak performance, drive engagement, and thrive in the age of disruption. He is a leading authority on NeuroAdaptive Leadership™ and the neuroscience of performance, helping organizations rewire the way their leaders think, act, and inspire others. Dr. Jones is an Organizational Psychologist, executive coach, and international keynote speaker.
Drawing from cutting-edge neuroscience and more than 150 years of motivation and performance research, Dr. Jones has developed a practical and engaging approach to leadership that helps people understand and optimize how the brain drives behavior, influence, and decision-making. His approach has been used by Fortune 500 companies and forward-thinking organizations around the world, helping empower leaders to bring out the best in themselves and those they lead.
As the founder and CEO of LeaderPath, Dr. Jones has worked with some of the world’s most recognized brands, including Microsoft, IBM, Porsche, AT&T, American Airlines, McKesson, Seagate Technology, and the Dallas Cowboys. His work has been featured by Inc. Magazine, FOX, CBS, ABC, and PBS, and his thought leadership continues to shape how modern leaders adapt, connect, and perform in an ever-changing world.
He is the two-time best-selling author of "Activator: Using Brain Science to Boost Motivation, Deepen Engagement, and Supercharge Performance" and "28 Days to a Motivated Team."
Prior to founding LeaderPath, Dr. Jones led executive education at AT&T, where he was responsible for developing more than 6,000 leaders globally, contributing to AT&T being named the #1 Learning Organization in America by Chief Learning Officer Magazine.
Outside of his work, Jason enjoys traveling, outdoor adventures, spending time with his grown children, and fueling his passion for helping others live and lead with purpose, resilience, and flow.
Dr. Jason Jones can be reached at
https://drjasonjones.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/DrJasonJones1
https://www.instagram.com/drjjones
https://www.youtube.com/c/DrJasonJones1
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand why AI disruption is fundamentally different from previous technology shifts in the workplace. Recognize cognitive rigidity and emotional responses that block effective adaptation to change. Apply neuro-adaptive leadership techniques to help teams respond productively to rapid disruption. -
In episode 243, Coffey talks with Dan Dalton about using personality profiles to improve hiring, onboarding, team dynamics, and organizational effectiveness.
They discuss the evolution of personality assessments from paper-based tools to data-driven platforms; appropriate and inappropriate uses of DISC and Predictive Index in hiring decisions; leveraging behavioral data to ask better interview questions; customizing onboarding to match communication preferences and learning styles; aligning managers and employees through mutual self-awareness; using profiles to strengthen team composition and collaboration; applying personality insights to performance coaching conversations; reducing turnover by adapting leadership styles to employee needs; helping young people gain early self-awareness for career decisions; and identifying the “personality” of an organization through mission statements and customer feedback.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP243
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Since 1995 Dan Dalton has worked in various HR roles as Trainer, Recruiter, HR Generalist, Manager, Director and Employee Relations Consultant.
Dan has worked in the Banking industry with JP Morgan Chase and Southwest Bank, the retail industry with Neiman Marcus and the health care industry with, Texas Health Resources, Voyager Hospice Care, McKesson Specialty Health, Texas Oncology, EVP Eye Care and in manufacturing with Oil States Industries. Most recently, Dan has founded P3:14 Consulting focusing on helping organizations and individuals strive to reach their potential. Dan has held a Human Resources professional certification since 2005 and presently holds a HRCI Senior HR Professional (SPHR) certification as well as a SHRM-SCP certification.
Dan earned a BBA in Marketing with a minor in Economics from Southwestern University and an MS in HR Management from University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). Dan has served with Fort Worth HR (local SHRM chapter) as board member and Past President and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Christian Women’s Job Corp of Greater Arlington where he facilitates workshops on resume writing and interview preparation.
Dan has been married to Brandi since 1987 and has a son, Calvin James (CJ), daughter-in-law Caiti and two grandchildren Cannon and Charlie. Dan also enjoys binge watching Netflix and Prime shows, ski vacations and any time spent in the mountains. He is an avid baseball fan and has played softball and golf most of his life. Dan and his family are active members at First Baptist Church of Arlington, where he is a member of the choir and contemporary praise team and a Sunday School teacher.
Dan Dalton can be reached at
https://p314consulting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dandaltonsphr
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify appropriate uses of personality assessments in hiring and performance management. Apply behavioral profile insights to improve onboarding and manager-employee communication. Evaluate team composition and organizational alignment using personality data. -
In episode 242, Coffey talks with Lee Colan about rebuilding human connection in a technology-driven, hybrid workplace.
They discuss the loneliness epidemic and its impact on employee wellbeing; differences between social isolation and emotional loneliness; remote work and the rise of frictionless digital experiences; Gallup and BetterUp data on workplace friendships and retention; the decline of socializing with coworkers outside work; practical rituals like high-low check-ins during meetings; the cultural effects of hybrid work and hot desking; personalization of workspaces to reinforce belonging; AI disruption of career paths and entry-level roles; the growing value of human-centered leadership skills; and a four-step model for building meaningful professional relationships.
Lee Colan’s next book “The Connection Key: How to Unlock Your Positive Impact and Enhanced Wellbeing” releases in September.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP242
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Lee J. Colan, Ph.D. is Lee is an organizational psychologist and CEO advisor. He possesses a rare combination of skills as a corporate executive, business consultant, thought leader, prolific author, artful facilitator, and engaging presenter.
Lee applies an in-depth understanding of business, science, people, and organizations to help leaders and organizations grow. As a result, he quickly helps leaders bring order where there is chaos, clarity where there is ambiguity and growth where there is decline.
Lee is a John C. Maxwell Leadership Award finalist and Thinkers50 nominee for Top Management Thinker globally.
He has authored 16 popular leadership books that have been translated into 10 languages, including the bestselling Engaging the Hearts and Minds of All Your Employees, Stick with It: Mastering the Art of Adherence and Healthy Leadership. He has also created over 50 products that equip and encourage leaders at every level.
Expertise
CEO advisement, executive coaching, strategy planning and execution, employee engagement, keynote speaking, leadership training.
Education
Doctoral degree, Organizational Psychology, George Washington University
Bachelor’s degree, Psychology and Communications, Summa Cum Laude, Florida State University
Background
Lee brings 25 years of hands-on industry and consulting experience to his clients. He worked in various leadership roles with American Airlines, Sandoz (Novartis) and FoxMeyer (McKesson). He also held consulting positions with two premier firms: Booz, Allen & Hamilton and Mercer. His last corporate post was as Vice President for Physician Reliance Network (U.S. Oncology), one of the fastest growing NASDAQ companies at the time.
Lee currently serves as an Independent Director and member of the Personnel Committee for Pacific Seafood Group, the largest vertically integrated seafood company in North America. He is a former director for Aztec Systems who was ultimately sold to a private equity firm. He also served on the Advisory Board for ASSET InterTech who was acquired in 2021 by Constellation Software.
Lee Colan can be reached at
https://thelgroup.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecolan
https://www.facebook.com/TheLGroupInc
https://www.instagram.com/leecolan
https://www.youtube.com/user/LeeJColan
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 29 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the business impact of workplace loneliness and disconnection. Apply a simple four-step model to strengthen team relationships. Embed connection-building rituals into meetings and daily leadership practices. -
In episode 241, Coffey talks with Neil Katz news and media items from the past month, including who HR is “for”, managing AI agents, and mental-health-related gaps in employment.
They discuss HR’s responsibility to conduct impartial workplace investigations based on evidence; the misconception that HR exists primarily as employee advocates; aligning HR strategy with revenue, margin, and organizational mission; the decline of transactional HR through automation and outsourcing; fractional HR leadership for small and midsize businesses; managing autonomous AI agents within organizational structures; developing AI operational literacy and new leadership competencies; redefining KPIs in an AI-enabled workplace; and best practices for addressing employment gaps during hiring.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP241
Media mentioned in this podcast:
If HR Isn’t There to Help You, Who Is HR For? — Dallas Employment Lawyer Blog — February 9, 2026
To Thrive in the AI Era, Companies Need Agent Managers
How do explain a gap year taken for mental health. : r/jobsearchhacks
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Neil Katz is the founder and CEO of Exceptional HR Solutions, a leading provider of fractional HR leadership for small and mid-sized businesses across the U.S. With over 25 years of experience at the intersection of people and business strategy, Neil leads a national team of 20+ seasoned HR partners dedicated to helping companies scale, evolve, and thrive. His firm delivers end-to-end HR solutions—from talent acquisition and organizational development to compliance, culture, and leadership alignment.
Under Neil’s leadership, Exceptional HR Solutions has become a go-to resource for growth-focused companies in industries ranging from retail and healthcare to manufacturing, technology, and professional services. He is widely recognized for building agile, scalable HR infrastructures that empower leadership, strengthen teams, and deliver measurable business impact.
While his primary focus is on growing Exceptional HR Solutions, Neil also serves selectively as an executive advisor, helping founders, CEOs, and leadership teams navigate strategic and organizational change. He holds an MBA from Amberton University, a BA in Business Administration from Texas Lutheran University, and advanced training in executive coaching from the University of Texas at Dallas. He is SHRM-certified and respected for his strategic insight and people-first leadership style.
Neil is a frequent guest on industry podcasts and a sought-after speaker at conferences and webinars, where he shares practical insights on fractional leadership, scalable HR strategies, and the evolving role of human resources in high-growth environments.
Outside of his professional work, Neil serves on the board of Hope International, a Dallas-based adoption agency, and previously served on the board of directors at Halo Senior Care, a for-profit business focused on elder care. He has also served with nonprofit organizations such as Gift of Adoption, reflecting his deep commitment to service and community.
Neil Katz can be reached at
https://exceptionalhrsolutions.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/exceptional-hr-solutions
https://www.facebook.com/exceptionalhrS
https://www.instagram.com/exceptional_hr_solutions_
https://twitter.com/exceptional_hrs
https://www.youtube.com/@ExceptionalHRSolutions
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Understand how HR can balance legal compliance with business performance and employee trust. Identify emerging le... -
In episode 240, Coffey talks with Yoram Solomon about motivating disengaged employees by building trust, increasing autonomy, and aligning intrinsic motivation with meaningful work.
They discuss quiet quitting and job hugging trends in uncertain economic times; intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation using the car engine analogy; why pay and bonuses fail as long-term engagement strategies; the critical link between trust, autonomy, and employee engagement; why trustworthiness matters more than intelligence or effort; how micromanagement destroys creativity and productivity; designing roles that fit personality and tolerance for repetitive work; diagnosing turnover caused by boring or monotonous jobs; involving employees in organizational change initiatives; rebuilding lost trust through accountability and ownership; and why leadership should be treated as a profession rather than a promotion.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP240
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Dr. Yoram Solomon is one of the world’s leading experts on trust. He’s the author of The Book of Trust and The Trust Premium, host of The Trust Show podcast, and creator of the Trust Habits® process. A 3-time TEDx speaker and founder of the Innovation Culture Institute®, Dr. Solomon has worked with organizations like AT&T, Dannon, Northrop Grumman, and HR.com. His research-backed, no-BS approach challenges conventional wisdom on leadership, culture, and motivation—and replaces it with brutally honest, practical strategies that actually work. With a PhD in organization and management, and a background that spans tech, military, law, and education, he brings a rare combination of academic depth and real-world experience. Whether he’s on stage, on TV, or in the boardroom, his message is simple: trust isn’t fluffy—it’s measurable, learnable, and the most powerful driver of performance.
Dr. Yoram Solomon can be reached at:
https://www.yoramsolomon.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoramsolomon
https://www.instagram.com/yoramsolomon
https://www.facebook.com/TheBookofTrust
https://x.com/yoramsolomon
https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrustShow
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in workplace performance. Identify how trust and autonomy directly impact employee engagement and retention. Apply practical strategies to rebuild trust and increase motivation during organizational change. -
In episode 239, Coffey talks with Carrie Fabris about why organizations seem to revisit the same issues repeatedly and how leaders can solve them for good through better communication, alignment, and accountability.
They discuss ineffective workplace communication and recurring problems; intuitive leadership versus inclusive decision-making; defining root causes instead of treating symptoms; creating buy-in through clarity, trust, and shared language; productive conflict and psychological safety on teams; accountability, execution, and avoiding chaos in organizations; leadership energy, burnout prevention, and sustainable performance.
For HR teams who discuss this podcast in their team meetings, we've created a discussion starter PDF to help guide your conversation. Download it here https://goodmorninghr.com/EP239
Carrie’s book “ALL IN: A Working Mom’s Unapologetic Quest for a Juicy Life” can be found here https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore
Good Morning, HR is brought to you by Imperative—Bulletproof Background Checks. For more information about our commitment to quality and excellent customer service, visit us at https://imperativeinfo.com.
If you are an HRCI or SHRM-certified professional, this episode of Good Morning, HR has been pre-approved for half a recertification credit. To obtain the recertification information for this episode, visit https://goodmorninghr.com.
About our Guest:
Carrie Fabris is the founder and CEO of CareerFrame, a leadership development and executive coaching firm that helps high-performing leaders become energized, aligned, and execution-focused. Known for her fast trust and bold clarity, Carrie works with VPs and executive teams navigating growth, succession, and culture shifts.
She brings 20+ years of corporate experience with companies like Google, Travelocity, and Sabre—and for the past 10 years, coaches and advises leaders using her signature FRAMEit Method™, which blends CliftonStrengths®, EQ-i®, Situational Leadership and real-world leadership systems that emphasize a whole-human leadership approach to bring balance for busy people leaders. Carrie is especially passionate about helping leaders have hard conversations, build trust fast, communicate effectively and create accountability that actually energizes. She graduated from UT Austin and resides in Dallas, TX.
Carrie Fabris can be reached at
https://www.careerframe.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfabris-reframe-coaching-training https://www.carriefabris.com/bookstore
https://www.instagram.com/cdfabris
https://www.facebook.com/chiefreframer
https://x.com/yourcareerframe
About Mike Coffey:
Mike Coffey is an entrepreneur, licensed private investigator, business strategist, HR consultant, and registered yoga teacher.
In 1999, he founded Imperative, a background investigations and due diligence firm helping risk-averse clients make well-informed decisions about the people they involve in their business.
Imperative delivers in-depth employment background investigations, know-your-customer and anti-money laundering compliance, and due diligence investigations to more than 300 risk-averse corporate clients across the US, and, through its PFC Caregiver & Household Screening brand, many more private estates, family offices, and personal service agencies.
Imperative has been named a Best Places to Work, the Texas Association of Business’ small business of the year, and is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association.
Mike shares his insight from 25+ years of HR-entrepreneurship on the Good Morning, HR podcast, where each week he talks to business leaders about bringing people together to create value for customers, shareholders, and community.
Mike has been recognized as an Entrepreneur of Excellence by FW, Inc. and has twice been recognized as the North Texas HR Professional of the Year.
Mike serves as a board member of a number of organizations, including the Texas State Council, where he serves Texas’ 31 SHRM chapters as State Director-Elect; Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County; the Texas Association of Business; and the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, where he is chair of the Talent Committee.
Mike is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the HR Certification Institute and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP). He is also a Yoga Alliance registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and teaches multiple times each week.
Mike and his very patient wife of 28 years are empty nesters in Fort Worth.
Learning Objectives:
Identify why unresolved communication leads to recurring organizational problems. Apply practical leadership behaviors that create alignment, buy-in, and accountability. Use frameworks and assessments to improve problem solving, execution, and team trust. - Visa fler
