TalentLMS presents:
Talent Talks

Most onboarding processes focus on paperwork over people. Amin Fard, CEO at Preppio and co-author of The Onboarding Playbook, explains how to design backward from “wow” moments that turn new hires into company advocates.

We explore why hybrid onboarding can outperform in-person, measuring what actually matters, and creating connection from day one.

Why do so many workplace training programs fail to drive real change? In this episode, we sit down with Julie Dirksen, Learning and Design Consultant and author of Talk to the Elephant, to explore why people often can’t learn or struggle to apply what they’ve learned.

We unpack the psychology of behavior change and dig into what makes instructional design truly effective.

How do you keep employees engaged when everything’s in flux? Rob Catalano, Co-Founder and Chief Engagement Officer at WorkTango, joins us to unpack the secrets behind effective employee engagement — especially during times of change.

The future of workplace training is here, so how can L&D pros prep for new challenges on the horizon? Brent Skinner, future of work expert, joins to reveal what to expect in the new year and beyond. Informed by the past, we’ll explore learning in the flow of work, how to unify silos, and why in the age of breakneck technology, age-old human skills are more in demand than ever.

What’s the secret that separates an accidental manager from an inspiring leader who uplifts the workplace? We sit down with trailblazing former Deloitte Exec and Leadership Coach, Neena Newberry, to unravel the biggest myths holding future leaders back—and how to avoid falling into the same traps.

Excessive employee turnover, looming deadlines, and tight budgets. Common business challenges that great L&D programs can tame. In this special episode, we hear first-hand from training trailblazers Kim Bellini and Randy Schumacher, both TalentLMS Training Excellence Awards recipients.

We cover the unique ways that L&D can be your business’ biggest champion, learn their secrets to an effective training program, and uncover how they go about proving L&D’s true potential to the C-suite.

A strong learning culture fuels knowledge sharing and personal development. But how? Andy Lancaster, CLO of Reimagine People Development and award-winning author, helps us uncover the path to creating a workplace where employees are inspired to own their growth journey.

Is reskilling the solution to the rapid decline in skill longevity? If so, how can both organizations and employees flip negative mindsets to ones of curiosity and optimism?

Boston Consulting Group MD, Sagar Goel, reveals his strategies to combat a progressive skill deficit and win the game of talent. Plus: Goel gives SMBs his top tips to keep their employees’ skills current.

How can we escape the fear of failure and celebrate experimentation rather than just the result? In this special episode, Nikhil Arora, shares his tips on how to commit to a growth mindset in both personal and professional life.

He opens up about the importance of depersonalizing failure and why he thinks vulnerability is an essential leadership quality. We also learn what organizations can do to keep a culture of consistent learning alive.

Are we witnessing the end of in-person training in real time? And why is the best learning content similar to the conversations we have with our friends? Gary Cookson, L&D expert, author, and consultant, joins us to answer these questions and more.

We dive into what training in the hybrid workplace means for L&D pros, the importance of building social ties into learning, and why the model calls for a more personalized learning experience than ever before.

Is the secret to embracing business change an all-age workforce? And what are the skills that Gen Z need to outpace AI? We get the answers with generational expert, historian, and business advisor, Dr. Eliza Filby.

Plus, we talk declining attention spans and their effect on training, whether age-based stereotypes hold any truth, and why we need to rehumanize ourselves at work.

How can L&D overcome the 3 biggest challenges facing companies today? Why’s L&D failing to get approval from the C-suite? Dr. Keith Keating, the award-winning author of “The Trusted Learning Advisor” joins us to answer these questions.

Plus, we cover how to create a culture where L&D’s value isn’t just a number, and the critical importance of positioning yourself one step ahead of tech trends. 

What’s the number one strategy to tap existing skills—without spending on outside help? And are you overlooking internal talent? Edie Goldberg, consultant to Fortune 500 companies, HR expert, and author of The Inside Gig, joins us to share some insightful truths about the world of internal mobility.

What are the 5 key elements of relevant training? And what’s the 1 training metric that could lose L&D pros their jobs? In this episode we invite L&D consultant, Instructional Designer, and fellow podcaster, Dr. Heidi Kirby to share her experience and give us actionable advice on course creation.

What does the surge of generative AI mean for the future of L&D? And how will the roles of L&D pros be reimagined in response? Season two of our podcast kicks off with Director of Paradox Learning, AI strategist, and eLearning expert, Stella Lee. Together with Lee, we’ll unpack why picking the right AI tools is like shopping for a car and reveal the dos and don’ts of upskilling an AI-literate workforce.

What are the biggest truths and misconceptions about Gen Z in the workforce? What are their strengths and how can managers adapt their leadership style to unlock the potential of the next generation?

In this episode we talk to Forbes contributor and generational expert Mark Perna, to explore how businesses can make the most out of a multi-generational workforce, why Gen Z is the ‘benchmark’ generation, and what we can expect from the talent of tomorrow. 

What are the 3 power skills every professional needs for the future? How do the human skills employees build in their personal lives benefit the workplace? Educational expert and author Dr. Michelle Weise explains how rapid technological innovation is demanding a change in the way we approach learning and work.

What is company culture? Is it ping-pong tables and perks? Is it the values we talk about internally? Or is it the way the company works “on a random Tuesday in October”? With experience at Disney, Nike, and Google, Talent Exec, Andre Martin joins the discussion.

Join us and find out why authenticity and intention lie at the heart of a consistent culture. Plus: simple tools you can implement when it comes to leading with culture in mind.

Can we get smarter with the devices we always have with us? And, do workplaces have the responsibility to help their employees become more intentional with the technology they use?

Alongside CEO of the Digital Wellness Institute, Amy Blankson, we’ll cover the simple strategies that can make our tech habits more deliberate and mindful.

What does it mean for an organization to be truly inclusive? How can you confront biases and become an active ally without causing conflict? We sit down with Dr. Poornima Luthra, an author, academic, educator, and consultant.

Her latest book “Leading Through Bias” challenges businesses to shift their mindsets toward inclusion. From the hiring process to the c-suite to the lunch room, we look at ways we can challenge day-to-day biases we might not even be aware of to create an environment that works for everyone.  

What’s on the horizon beyond ChatGPT? How can you prepare for AI-led digital transformation? We sit down with Ronald Ashri to discuss everything from employee privacy to rethinking how teams are trained and emerging new AI-related roles (prompt engineers?!).

What can a jack of many trades bring to the table? Join us as we explore why ‘squiggly line’ careers are great news for both employees and employers.

Alongside Rusty Rueff, who boasts experience under Obama, at Pepsi-Co, and as Glassdoor Board Director, we’re explaining what companies stand to gain from letting employees grow in a non-linear direction, instead of simply waving goodbye.

Is Design Thinking key to innovative ideas and solutions at work? What does empathy have to do with creative problem-solving? And can thinking visually help us communicate well with our colleagues? We’re talking to Karen Hold, co-author of “Experiencing Design: The Innovator’s Journey”.

How can we make sure employees are active and engaged during training? It’s time to elevate our learning game. We talk with Karl Kapp, Gamification and Instructional Design expert, professor at Bloomsburg University, and TEDx speaker.

Karl reveals the secrets behind crafting effective, meaningful, and interactive content design for businesses big and small.

How can autonomous squads and agile principles unleash the potential of our teams and help businesses scale? We chat to Henrik Kniberg, the coder-turned-consultant, who’s helped coach teams at Minecraft, Lego and Spotify.

Henrik talks through the concepts of Squads and Scrums, taking us behind the scenes of Spotify’s early days when the start-up dared to implement Agile strategies at scale.

How can managers make sure their remote teams don’t just survive, but thrive? We sit down with Darren Murph who’s been preaching the benefits of borderless offices for almost two decades, earning him the moniker ‘Oracle of Remote Work’.

Together, we cover everything from the tools that improve async work to how workplace culture is teetering on the verge of a seismic shift.