HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
Welcome to the HR Stories Podcast — making work better one story at a time.
Every workplace has stories. Some are about organizations that got it wrong. Others are about leaders who got it right. And sometimes, the most important lessons come from the everyday decisions that shape how people experience work.
Your storytellers, John Thalheimer MS and Chuck Simikian SPHR, SHRM-SCP, use real workplace stories as the teaching tool.
LISTEN to what happened.
LEARN from the decisions, successes, mistakes, and warning signs.
ACT on practical ideas that can make your workplace better.
Each episode starts with a story — a court case, a leadership challenge, an HR misstep, an employee experience, or an organization trying something different. John and Chuck then break down what happened, why it matters, and most importantly, what we can learn from it.
Sometimes that means understanding an employment law or avoiding an expensive mistake. Sometimes it means becoming a better leader, building trust, improving communication, or creating a workplace where people can do their best work.
That balance is what HR Stories is all about: practical HR, thoughtful leadership, and real-world lessons you can use.
John and Chuck have spent their careers helping HR professionals, business owners, and leaders navigate the people side of business through consulting, training, coaching, and thousands of live learning experiences.
Their goal with HR Stories is simple:
Tell good stories. Find the lesson. Make work better.
John is the Founding Director of True Star Leadership™, which focuses on helping managers and leaders learn performance management principles. Chuck is the Founding Partner of Alliance HR Partners, which provides HR consulting and training to businesses nationwide. Together, they have over 40 years of experience navigating the challenges of HR and recently published their book, The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklist Edition. Go to https://ultimateguidetohr.com/ for more information, download a free sample, and watch their webinar on the Secret Power Behind Successful Businesses.
HR Stories Podcast - A Lesson in Every Story!
Latest Episodes
Ep175: Is AI Making the Workplace Better?
AI can save hours, but it can also create bias, bad decisions, and new HR headaches if you hand it the wrong job. Chuck and John unpack the real question leaders need to answer now: not whether AI works, but who gets the time it creates, who ow...
Ep174: From the Vault - Off-The-Clock Behavior and the Impact on Workplaces
This week we revisit an episode from September 2025 where the team discusses out of work behavior and what implications that can have on workplaces. ----We've seen it in the news and around social media - someone did somethin...
Ep173: From the Vault - Listener Q&A!
Revisit this episode, originally from summer of 2025!-----Welcome to another Listener Q&A with The Team at HR Stories! Today's episode goes into these questions:Can you terminate an employee just for a bad attitude...
Ep172: Perfectly Documented Terrible Decisions
Bad documentation can create a bigger mess than no documentation at all. Chuck Simikian and John Thalheimer break down why the real goal is not paperwork for paperwork's sake, but creating a record that protects decisions, clarifies expectation...
