Video Library

Below is a collection of recorded videos we share as a resource to the public. This library contains videos from HR Answers, our partners, and guest speakers.

May 2025

HR Lunch Bunch: Supporting Workplace Wellbeing

May is Mental Health Awareness Month—a perfect time to spotlight the importance of mental health in the workplace. This is a dynamic discussion on how Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can provide meaningful support for employees while promoting a healthier, more productive workplace. We’re excited to welcome Michelle Martin from Canopy, who guides us through an in-depth look at EAPs, including their benefits, emerging trends, and common myths. We also explore real-world challenges and celebrate successes in implementing these vital programs.

This session is facilitated by Michelle Martin, CIHC. Michelle is Customer Success Manager and Wellness Specialist at Canopy Wellbeing.

April 2025

HR Lunch Bunch: Navigating Layoffs

Layoffs are one of the most challenging scenarios for any organization and one of the most difficult set of responsibilities an HR professional faces. Whether due to economic downturns, restructuring, or operational shifts, handling layoffs requires thoughtful planning, clear communication, and legal awareness to minimize impact on both departing and remaining employees.

We share and practical strategies for navigating layoffs with transparency, empathy, and compliance while also maintaining morale and engagement within your organization. We discuss best practices, legal considerations, and post-layoff recovery to ensure that HR professionals are well-equipped to support employees through this difficult process.

Our key discussion areas will include:

Planning for a Layoff: Strategic considerations before, during, and after the announcement
Legal & Compliance Considerations: WARN Act, severance, documentation, and risk management
Delivering the Message: Conducting layoff conversations with empathy and professionalism
Supporting Employees & Managers: Resources, outplacement, and emotional impact
Post-Layoff Workforce Management: Rebuilding trust and engagement with remaining employees

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

March 2025

HR Lunch Bunch: Demystifying Pay Transparency: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

As state and federal legislation continues to reshape the pay transparency model, HR professionals play a critical role in fostering open communication around compensation. We explore what you are doing in this area, what questions you have, and the expectations employees now have. We cover how organizations can adapt their policies and practices to align with current trends, from job postings and hiring strategies to addressing wage gaps and promoting pay equity.

We specifically discuss:

The increasing demand for pay transparency and its implications for HR professionals like yourself
Explore the benefits, challenges, and best practices for creating a culture of openness around compensation
Pay equity and address wage gaps to build trust and fairness in your workplace

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

February 2025

HR Lunch Bunch: Three Pillars of a Wellness Culture

When leaders want to proactively create a culture that prioritizes well-being, they need to go about it in a holistic way. All too often, we see leaders thinking the work is done if they have a wellness program in place.

In order for leadership to make wellness a part of their culture and values, they need to communicate it in three areas: Permission, Policy, and Programs. We explore these three pillars and uncover ways your organization could round out their approach to employee well being through the lens culture.

This session is facilitated by Danielle Dinkelman, MBA, NBC-HWC. Danielle is co-founder and CEO of ACW Coaching.

January 2025

HR Lunch Bunch: Employee Learning and Development Priorities in 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, employee learning and development (L&D) are set to be at the forefront of organizational priorities. A recent HR and L&D survey shows that leadership development will be the number one focus, with 26% of respondents identifying it as their top priority. At the same time, the lack of growth opportunities is predicted to be the leading factor driving turnover in the coming year.

Our discussion explores the key trends impacting L&D, including:

Leadership Development: Strategies to nurture and grow effective leaders Career Growth and Retention: How clear career development opportunities can attract and retain top talent
Combating Employee Burnout: Addressing the challenges of high workloads, unclear expectations, and change fatigue
Peer Learning and Mentoring: The growing importance of workshops, mentor programs, and social learning for employee development

This is an engaging conversation on how HR professionals can align their L&D strategies with these emerging priorities to foster employee growth, reduce turnover, and build stronger teams in 2025.

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

December 2024

HR Lunch Bunch: Resiliency

Resilience is our ability to bounce back from the stressors of life. It’s not about avoiding the stress but learning to thrive within the stress.

Resilience is typically defined as the capacity to recover from difficult life events. Resilience is a special skill because it is also defined by outlook and response. It is an adaptive mode of thinking which has to be developed gradually, alongside techniques for improving one’s initial response to something bad or unwanted.

We use the five pillars of resiliency to discuss ideas for building one’s own resilience both individually and within the workplace. We also explore developing a personal resiliency plan.

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

November 2024

HR Lunch Bunch: HR Resources, AI, and More!

Whether it is new compliance concerns or trends that HR needs to be aware of, there are so many challenges and opportunities going on for HR right now. AI is definitely one of those hot topics and transformational resources we can use to aid us in the work we do from:

Recruitment & Onboarding
Employee Engagement & Retention
Training & Development
Performance Management
Workplace Analytics
Offboarding and More

So, we are talking about these things and more. How is AI being used in workplaces? What other resources are being used to make the work easier or aiding in being more effective?

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

October 2024

HR Lunch Bunch: Menopause in the Workplace - Where Symptoms and Work Intersect

For many people, the topic of menopause has been considered taboo, leaving individuals who experience menopause to quietly manage symptoms out of fear of ageism or bias. However, those going through menopause are the fastest-growing demographic in the workplace. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), individuals of menopausal age make up nearly 30% of the labor force.

Employers must recognize the importance of supporting individuals through this life stage. Individuals in their 40s and 50s, who often experience menopausal symptoms, are typically among your most experienced and knowledgeable leaders. They bring invaluable wisdom, serve as mentors, and drive organizational success. By normalizing the conversation around menopause, employers can offer tailored benefits and flexibility that help retain this vital talent.

Additionally, there is a significant gap in menopause management within healthcare, with many individuals left to navigate their symptoms alone. A lack of training in family medicine and OB/GYN practices means that too many people go untreated or feel that nothing can be done. Meaning they are on their own to experiment with what, whom, and where they can find to help.

This discussion explores how employers can better support menopausal individuals and highlight the mutual benefits of creating a more inclusive and understanding workplace.

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

September 2024

Inclusion and Diversity in the Workplace

How have you promoted DEI in your Workplace? What strategies, tips or challenges have you found?

Employee engagement and trust don’t just happen; actions have to be intentional. Employees want to work for an organization that does the right thing. Employees want a feeling of being connected to co-workers, feeling safe, valued, and that the work they do matters.

Time and time again we have heard the importance of having a broad array of experiences, thought processes, and perspectives will help our marketing, product sales, customer interaction, employee engagement, and more. These are REAL benefits for our employees, and yes business too, making this topic an employer necessity.

We discuss a couple of key questions:

What does workplace diversity look like to you and how does it contribute to organizational success?
How do you think cultural competence and sensitivity can be fostered in the workplace?
How can diversity in leadership teams positively impact organizational culture and decision-making processes?

This session is facilitated by Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC. Deborah is Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

August 2024

July's BIG Changes - How Did They Go?

This networking event covers significant changes to Oregon Family and Medical Leave, Paid Leave Oregon Insurance, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Our expert, Laurie Grenya, provides a brief overview of these changes and facilitate a discussion about what your organization found challenging and successful.

Discussion Points:

Oregon Family and Medical Leave: Reducing qualifying causes and new provisions.
Paid Leave Oregon Insurance: Required opportunity to use accrued leaves, benefits clarifications, and successive instead of concurrent use.
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Recent amendments the rules increasing the white collar and highly compensated professional salary thresholds.

This session is facilitated by Laurie L. Grenya, SPHR, CCP. Laurie is President and Owner at HR Answers, Inc.

July 2024

Strategic Partnering - What Does It Mean to Know the Business?

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between an HR generalist and an HR Business Partner? Have you ever seen job posts for HR Business Partner, only to find that the job duties listed were identical to an HR generalist or HR manager?

This month’s discussion is focused on strategic partnering. We tackle questions like:

What does it mean to “know the business”?
How do you approach the work with a strategic mindset (vs a tactical mindset)?
How do you focus on strategy when there are so many other things to do?
How do you build the right relationships and establish trust and credibility?
What metrics can you use to connect people data with business outcomes (i.e., “data informed decisions”)?
What skills and competencies do you need to operate as an HRBP?

This session will be facilitated by Kyra L. Matkovich, SHRM-CP, PHR. Kyra is the Principal HR Business Partner at Exact Sciences.

May 2024

Boosting Employee Skills

Regular improvement opportunities are a vital aspect of organizational wellness and growth. Regardless of your role with the organization, it’s critical to understand the importance of employee development and the increasing investment and role employers will play. To remain competitive, offering your team members regular opportunities to improve their skills and advance their own professional growth can help you recruit and retain employees. In addition, they will feel supported, connected, and engaged while boosting the reputation of the organization.

We discuss:

What workplace skills are in demand;
The need for addressing our skills gap with Reskilling, Upskilling, Cross-skilling, Newskilling;
What you are doing now for continuous learning and what’s working;
Share ideas and tips for success, including micro-learning, individualized development plans and more

April 2024

Manage, Mentor, or Coach?

This month’s discussion focuses on development …and how we get there. Management? Mentoring? Coaching? Heck is there even a difference? We are sure you have a lot to say here and we want to hear it.

We know that coaching and mentoring are the keys to a leader’s success and ability to have positive impacts on individuals, teams, and the organization. The more that certainty can be provided, the better the chance that leaders will pay attention to and apply what they learn about coaching and mentoring. So…critical distinctions (definitions) are needed.

As one Blanchard webinar participant concisely noted, a mentor will answer your questions while a coach will often question your answers.

March 2024

HR Lunch Bunch: What is Next for HR

This month’s discussion focuses on where HR is going, what is next, what is the future for the profession. When the makeup of the workforce changes, HR must evolve alongside it. Now more than ever, the HR role is a multi-faceted combination of business strategy, compliance, process, and employee development. We take a look at and discuss the predictions and trends for HR and what we should be paying attention to so we can be prepared…for what is next.

January 2024

HR Lunch Bunch: Cheers to New Beginnings

It is a NEW YEAR!!! An opportunity to look at things differently, to start anew. Let’s enter the new year with an open and resilient collective mindset. Let’s set the tone for the year – with the right intentions and ideas for a positive, successful year no matter what comes our way and empower ourselves to make the best and most effective use of the ever-changing realities in front of us each and every day (both personally and professionally).

Let’s share ideas on shifting our perspective – where happiness and peace can take hold and we can reduce negative thoughts and feelings…. where we can change our responses to these negative situations.

December 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: 401(k)/403(b) Plans - Tricks, Improvements, and Updates

Your company-sponsored retirement plan is one of the most valuable components of your total employee compensation package. The retirement standard of living of most employees depends greatly on the qualified plan opportunity presented by your company and your plan advisor.

The way 401(k) plans are generally discussed by the 401k industry is very dated. Concepts like non-participant, opt out, investment management, fees, employer contributions and auto-enrollment are inappropriately used, needlessly complicated and mis-presented by this industry.

Join us as we welcome Keith Mayfield from Planit Financial, LLC.

November 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Wellness That Works

“Workplace Wellness” is more than a buzz word. It is something all small businesses will need to address sooner or later. When it comes down to it, if our people are not well, our businesses will not thrive. So how do you know a worthwhile wellness program when you see one? How do you advise decision makers and stake holders on making worthwhile investments in workplace wellness? How do you choose wellness initiatives, programs, or benefits that will actually make an impact and avoid “box checking” this important aspect of modern business?

Join us for a collaborative discussion about Wellness That Works lead by Co-Founder and CEO of Advanced Corporate Wellness, Danielle Dinkelman, NBC-HWC.

October 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: HR Records - Getting Them Back in Place

We are excited to announce a free one-hour webinar on HR Records Retention. This webinar is designed to help HR professionals understand the importance of HR records retention and learn best practices for creating and maintaining effective record-keeping systems.

During this webinar, our expert speaker will cover topics such as legal requirements for record retention, electronic record keeping, and document destruction.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn valuable insights and network with other HR professionals.

Facilitator: Rebecca Vales, Senior Consultant at HR Answers, Inc.

September 2023

DisRuptHR: HR is Not the Heavy!

HR Is Not the Heavy! – a DisruptHR talk by Laurie Grenya – Owner/President of HR Answers, Inc.

DisruptHR Portland OR 3.0 – September 12, 2023 in Portland, OR #DisruptHRPDX

September 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Artificial Intelligence and HR

Technology and AI are changing the workplace. So, what are you doing about it? In this lunchtime conversation, Monique Little from First Tech Federal Credit Union will share stories of how AI is changing work in the financial services industry and how the organization is adapting to changes in work and a demand for new skills. She’ll discuss topics like organizational resistance, dispelling myths like “Is my job going away?” and how to embrace new technology while leaning into employee engagement and development to achieve a win-win outcome. Regardless of industry, technology is changing the way we work and human resources leaders are perfectly positioned to be organizational change leaders if we embrace the opportunity.

Guest Speaker: Monique Little, Chief People and Administrative Officer at First Tech Federal Credit Union

August 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: How Are You Planning for Creative and Cost Effective Benefits

This month’s discussion will focus on benefits. They definitely can be an attractor and an employee retention tool. One of the biggest interest on behalf if employees right now seems to be family friendly benefits. Our guest Christie Engler from Willory will focus our discussion around how are HR professionals planning for new, creative benefit offerings that are also cost effective. Some of her questions to our attendees will focus on:

What new/different benefit offerings are you looking to offer in 2023 and/or beyond?
How do your employees feel about the current benefit offerings? How do you know? Do you conduct an employee survey?
Do you prefer to work with a broker or an independent agent?
What are your biggest challenges in selecting benefit offerings?
Will your organization’s budget for benefits be more, less, or the same as 2022?

Let’s see if we can share what we are doing and what’s working and perhaps gleam a few new ideas worth exploring.

Guest: Christie L. Engler, MHRM, SPHR, SHRM-CP, Director of People and Culture at Willory

July 2023

Passion Interview: Rebecca Vales

These interviews are a quick glimpse into the passions of our consulting staff and how they play a part in our work. Each interview lasts about an hour, and can be re-watched or listened to at any time.

Host: Laurie Grenya

Guest: Rebecca Vales

July 2023

Passion Interview: Eric Wilson

Host: Laurie Grenya

Guest: Eric Wilson

July 12, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: The "Quiet" Trends

I am sure by now you have heard of quiet quitting. My question to you is have you heard of the other quiets – quiet firing, quiet promoting, quiet leading, etc. For some of you these may be new terms and for others these are new “names” for activities that have been around for a while and not what we want to be happening in our organizations.

So let’s make this program a lively discussion and we will share with each other and talk about:

What do leaders need to do or how to prevent these phenomenon’s from taking hold in your workplaces;
What you can do to improve manager and employee conversations and engagement in your organizations;
Discover ways to bring purpose back to individuals work;
Have attendees share your ideas, thoughts and activities in this space; and
Answer your questions.

Facilitator: Deborah Jeffries, SHRM-CP, PHR, CPC, Vice President at HR Answers, Inc.

June 7, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Recruiting Solutions for 2023

The Great Resignation is far from over and even with some notable layoffs across the country, we are continuing to see a limited candidate pool in most sectors. On a positive note, the talent shortage is leading all of us to seek innovative recruitment solutions.

Learn some recruiting solutions that you can implement to produce results for your organization!

During our time together we discuss:

How talent disruptions and the opportunities they’ve created can help you attract and retain quality talent
How you can you turn your job descriptions from a unicorn ordering form into something that will attract more candidates
How workplace flexibility affects recruitment success and what you can do to ensure your organization is meeting candidate needs

Guest Speaker/Facilitator: Ann Jones, MBA, TSC, CSP, VP of Strategy and Growth at ACS Professional Staffing

May 3, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Recognizing and Understanding Alzheimer's in Our Organizations

Join Rachel Sarasohn from the Alzheimer’s Association® Oregon and SW Washington Chapter. This conversation will help you recognize common signs of the disease in yourself and our employees and next steps to take. As employee health and wellbeing continue to be at the top of our HR list, you’ll be able to ask questions and understand more about how this disease can impact your business operations. She will share more about the cutting-edge research, where to turn for support, and how you and your business can have an impact. As we know, the Alzheimer’s Association® is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer’s care, support, and research. We’ll be able hear about their reach, partnerships, and mission impact and how our organizations (and we as individuals) can get involved.

Guest: Rachel W. Sarasohn, Alzheimer’s Association, OR and SW WA

April 05, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Conscious Company Culture

Famous business strategist, Peter Drucker, once said “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

So often businesses focus more intently on building sound strategy—plans, policies, procedures—and allow the culture building to just sort of happen. Unfortunately, culture is forming whether we design it or not. But without the conscious creation of our ideal culture, we get what we get. This approach often leads to disunity, feelings of burnout, disintegration, under-appreciated or under-motivated team members and beyond.

When we lean into conscious culture building, we increase employee engagement, attract employees that align with our values (and see attrition of those that do not), seamlessly align effort at all levels of the organization (eliminating rogue projects and personalities), and increase productivity and results. In short, culture is the limitless fuel to an organization’s strategy.

In this session, Marjorie will deliver tips, tools, and ideas that your organization can implement immediately to consciously build your company culture around an aligned set of values.

Guest: Marjorie Dudley, CSP, Southwestern Consulting

March 01, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Mental Health in the Workplace

Mental Health is a necessity in today’s productive workplace. There is so much for HR to consider in the ever-changing environment. Even the 2023 Trends Report from Calm suggests with 67% stating that “everyone is responsible for providing mental health support for stress and anxiousness.” This is an all-hands on deck conversation.

During this conversation, we’ll discuss:

What’s happening in mental health today
Helping HR (and managers) recognize the warning signs
Addressing issues and the connection to addiction
How employers can support wellness (using EAP+)
Levels of care and dispel the myths treatment

Guest: Kalei McDonald, Director of Community Outreach; Discovery Recovery

February 01, 2023

HR Lunch Bunch: Eating the Elephant of the Employee Experience

When you think of a holistic view of employee experience — defined by the perception of the quality of all the experiences we collect at work — changing employees’ perceptions can feel like something too enormous to tackle. But as the wise Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” Where do you take the first bite in changing the employee experience in your organization, though?

During this conversation, we’ll discuss:

A framework for addressing employee experience without feeling overwhelmed;
The connection between EX to other critical business initiatives like CX and corporate performance;
How to avoid the two biggest mistakes when taking on employee experience;

Guest: Lance Haun, VP of Market Insights; The Starr Conspiracy