Rephonic
Artwork for Honest HR

Honest HR

SHRM
Employee Engagement
Mental Health
SHRM
Workplace Culture
Human Resources
Leadership
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Work-Life Balance
Burnout
Artificial Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
Employment Law
Employee Experience
Empathy
Diversity and Inclusion
Talent Acquisition
Family and Medical Leave Act
Workplace Flexibility
Allyship
Organizational Culture

Honest HR is the go-to podcast for aspiring and informed HR professionals intent on transforming workplace challenges into golden opportunities. This podcast brings you insights, trends, and actionable advice through relatable stories from the REAL world of HR.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes174Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessManagementCareers

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Honest HR

Latest Episodes

HR leaders are expected to influence business decisions, but gaining executive buy-in requires more than great ideas. In this live recording of Honest HR, Bruce Waller, vice president of corporate relocation at the Armstrong Company and bestselling a... more

YouTube

Successful SHRM certification candidates spend significant time preparing — but how you study matters just as much as how long you study. Charles Glover, director of certification & assessment products at SHRM, breaks down the structure of the SHRM-... more

YouTube

With growing employee interest and increasing healthcare costs, GLP-1 medications are creating new challenges for HR and benefits leaders. Ginny Crisp, CEO of Prescription Benefit Solutions, discusses the evolving role of GLP-1s in employer-sponsored... more

YouTube

AI may be transforming hiring, but identifying the right talent still requires human judgment. David Cohen, executive consultant and author of Selecting the Best, joins Nicole Belyna, SHRM-SCP, for a live recording of Honest HR to explore how behavio... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Good Morning, HR
Good Morning, HRMike Coffey, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
HBR On Leadership
HBR On LeadershipHarvard Business Review
Coaching Real Leaders
Coaching Real LeadersMuriel Wilkins

Recent Guests

Charles Glover
SHRM's Director of Certification and Assessment Products
SHRM
Episode: What It Takes to Pass the SHRM Certification Exam
Ginny Crisp
CEO of Prescription Benefit Solutions
Prescription Benefit Solutions
Episode: Balancing Cost and Care With GLP-1 Employee Benefits
David Cohen
Executive consultant and author of Selecting the Best
Author of Selecting the Best
Episode: Selecting the Best Talent for the Modern Workplace
Deb Keller
President and Chief Compliance Officer at VicTig Background Checks
VicTig Background Checks
Episode: The Hidden Lawsuits in Your Hiring Process: Background Screening Compliance Explained
AJ Faraj
Founder of SorsX, an AI-driven hiring platform
SorsX
Episode: Hook, Line, and Skillfishing — When Candidates Look Better on Paper
Katrina Gooch
Director of Human Resources
SHRM Conference attendee
Episode: Hook, Line, and Skillfishing — When Candidates Look Better on Paper
Alex Alonso
SHRM's Chief Knowledge Officer, developer of the HRX Framework
SHRM
Episode: The Talent Optimizer: Using Leadership and Analytics for an HR Advantage
Courtney Scott
Director HR Business Partner
Learning Care Group
Episode: The Talent Optimizer: Using Leadership and Analytics for an HR Advantage
Dr. Unnatti Jain
Generational diversity researcher and CEO of Bridging Generations
Bridging Generations
Episode: Generational Gaps or Strategic Gains? Turning Tension Into Results

Hosts

Nicole Belyna
Host of Honest HR, SHRM affiliations noted across episodes.
Monique Akanbi
Host of Honest HR, SHRM affiliations mentioned; focuses on culture and HR leadership.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 275 ratings
  • Great Show!

    This is a must listen to podcast for everyone and not just people who work in HR. I look forward to listening to the new episode every week!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mikeyk614
    United Statesa year ago
  • Generally, strong and informative episodes though there are some misses. Credit for continuing Ed.

    Podcast Addict
    4
    ba
    2 years ago
  • What Makes A Good Boss

    Being a boss is not the same as being a Leader. Supervisors and Managers should aspire to be Leaders. A boss has the title, a Leader as the people.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Zilla06
    United States2 years ago
  • High Five HR Podcast

    Well done, SHRM. These episodes are timely, relevant, and listening or reading them count toward recertification. Well done!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CHRO in Bay Area
    United States2 years ago
  • Honest HR hosted by Amber Clayton is a standout podcast for business enthusiasts. Amber's insightful interviews and deep understanding of the topic make each episode educational and engaging. She has a knack for making the topic easily digestible and turning it into actionable advice that listeners can apply to their situations. I highly recommend it - this is time well spent!

    Podchaser
    5
    Aly_Zenrabbit
    2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Strong recertification relevance and credential-focused discussions.
Audio quality has been a recurring critique, though content is strong.
Quality guests and real-world case studies consistently shine.
Fresh, practical HR insights with actionable takeaways.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#54
United States/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#8
Saudi Arabia/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#33
Saudi Arabia/Business
Apple Podcasts
#62
India/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#69
South Korea/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#142
Taiwan/Business/Careers

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Balancing Cost and Care With GLP-1 Employee Benefits
Q: How can HR quantify and communicate ROI beyond the upfront drug costs?
ROI is not immediate and requires a long-term view; track pharmacy spend, adherence rates, downstream medical costs, and productivity metrics, and model scenarios that include lifestyle components to demonstrate potential total cost of care improvements over several years.
Balancing Cost and Care With GLP-1 Employee Benefits
Q: What should HR teams consider when designing GLP-1 coverage within their benefit programs?
HR should evaluate the PBM partner's flexibility, consider a total package that includes lifestyle supports, assess long-term cost implications and participant uptake, and be mindful that rebates and pricing structures can complicate benefits if lifestyle requirements affect rebates.
Balancing Cost and Care With GLP-1 Employee Benefits
Q: First, can you explain why GLP-1 medications have become such a hot topic in employee health benefits?
The topic rose due to a convergence of a diabetes-friendly obesity treatment with expanding indications, strong public awareness driven by social media, and a workforce whose obesity-related health needs have broad implications for costs and productivity. Employers are weighing how to package these drugs with lifestyle interventions and how PBMs can enable flexible coverage.
Hook, Line, and Skillfishing — When Candidates Look Better on Paper
Q: What are some of the most surprising incidents you've come across?
AJ Faraj describes cases where candidates showed strong resumes or interview performances but failed to perform in real tasks, highlighting the gap between appearance and actual ability, and emphasizing the need for layered assessments and real work samples.
The Talent Optimizer: Using Leadership and Analytics for an HR Advantage
Q: Why is the Talent Optimizer the most influential driver of HR maturity but also the least mature?
Because organizations recognize its potential to drive performance and retention, yet struggles with implementing structured development, workforce planning, and integrating technology like AI into practical talent strategies.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Honest HR

What is Honest HR about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on practical HR and people-ops topics, with frequent deep dives into hiring, employee development, and workplace culture. Episodes cover behavioral interviewing, skill validation, AI in recruitment, background-screening compliance, leadership and motivation, and strategies to design humane, data-informed people practices. Notable moments include live-recorded panels, real-world case studies, and frameworks that translate HR theory into measurable business impact. The program often features practitioners, researchers, and policy-minded guests from SHRM and major employers, making it valuable for HR leaders seeking actionable insights and compliance-aware guidance. A standout trait is its blend of rigorous topics with access... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Honest HR?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Honest HR. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Honest HR and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Honest HR get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Honest HR, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Honest HR?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Honest HR, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Honest HR have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Honest HR has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Honest HR?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Honest HR:

1. SHRM All Things Work
2. People and Strategy
3. Good Morning, HR
4. HBR On Leadership
5. Coaching Real Leaders

How many episodes of Honest HR are there?

Honest HR launched 8 years ago and published 174 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Honest HR?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Honest HR?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Honest HR from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Honest HR?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Honest HR. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Honest HR?

Recent guests on Honest HR include:

1. Charles Glover
2. Ginny Crisp
3. David Cohen
4. Deb Keller
5. AJ Faraj
6. Katrina Gooch
7. Alex Alonso
8. Courtney Scott

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days