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Picture of Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

Like most people who gravitate toward HR, Meghan loves people. Early in her career, Meghan realized she was a rare people person who understood tech. As a high tech recruiter, Meghan worked with hundreds of companies, from early-stage startups to global brands like Microsoft, IBM and Google. Meghan founded TalentCulture in 2008 to lead a conversation about the future of work with her peers in HR and leadership. These days, she is consistently included in lists of top online influencers and writes about HR tech and talent management at Forbes.com, SHRM.org and a variety of other media outlets. Her career background spans recruiting, tech, marketing, branding and digital media. As an HR tech analyst, author and brand strategist, Meghan is sought after for her ideas about the future of work, is a regularly featured speaker at global business conferences, and serves on boards for leading HR and technology brands.
Picture of Meghan M. Biro

Meghan M. Biro

Like most people who gravitate toward HR, Meghan loves people. Early in her career, Meghan realized she was a rare people person who understood tech. As a high tech recruiter, Meghan worked with hundreds of companies, from early-stage startups to global brands like Microsoft, IBM and Google. Meghan founded TalentCulture in 2008 to lead a conversation about the future of work with her peers in HR and leadership. These days, she is consistently included in lists of top online influencers and writes about HR tech and talent management at Forbes.com, SHRM.org and a variety of other media outlets. Her career background spans recruiting, tech, marketing, branding and digital media. As an HR tech analyst, author and brand strategist, Meghan is sought after for her ideas about the future of work, is a regularly featured speaker at global business conferences, and serves on boards for leading HR and technology brands.

The New World of Work: Flexible Careers and Freelancing

Is freelancing the new black? It certainly seems that way—in fact, you might call this trend the new world of work. A new study by Freelancers Union and Upwork backs this up, finding that more people are freelancing by choice. Today, a little more than one in three workers in the United States are setting their own hours and being their own bosses. The findings of the study were interesting—here are some of the highlights: “The majority (60 percent) of freelancers who left traditional employment now earn more.” Nearly a quarter of those surveyed said they specifically left an employer in

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Big Data and Privacy: The Human Consequence of Security Breaches

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), there were 781 U.S. data breaches last year, and the risk is predicted to grow exponentially. Data privacy is one of the biggest threats facing businesses this year and, in years to come. Breaches over the past few years at companies like Sony, Target, Home Depot, and Anthem have grabbed headlines and exposed the personal details of millions of people—not to mention personal correspondence and backroom gossip. Incidents like these don’t just trigger a PR nightmare that can sink sales and injure a brand’s reputation; there are human consequences faced by the people

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Dear Leaders: Humanize Your Brand

Back in ancient times (let’s go with 1970s or 1980s) when mainframes ruled the world and “friends” were people you actually knew, the rules of engagement were very different. Companies and customers met when a transaction was taking place. Otherwise, everyone went their separate ways and did their own thing. Well, that kind of cut-and-dried, disconnected relationship truly is a thing of the past – at least for brands that want to succeed in the future. Things (and leaders we hope) are much more personal now. The computer, one of the most significant developments in human history, has changed everything. It’s

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4 Reasons Leaders Hire In 3D

It’s time leaders got smart about hiring. We have to make sure they do. I know for certain that—as you read this—a lot of creative people are trolling for jobs. People who would completely shake up a company culture in awesome, unthought-of ways, if simply given the chance. But, as my friends all know, unless they have four degrees, years of experience and invented the iPad—it feels like they may well just be talented voices crying in the wilderness. Our social business culture talks a lot about Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs and Bill Gates and Meg Whitman. Don’t get me

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Free Agent Nation Romance: The Good, The Bad, And The Unknown

You know the story. Once upon a time, companies courted new talent with the promise of a lifelong relationship. “Work” meant employment, training, benefits, and job security for years, if not decades. But for many, if not most companies and employees, the romance has died. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, an estimated 40% of all U.S. workers now operate on a part-time or contract basis. Josh Bersin adds: “Bottom Line: the workforce of today is specialized and highly virtual: working part-time, mobile, from home, and often on a contract basis. Our research shows that among large employers upwards of

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WorkTrends Preview: Simple Ways to Measure Employee Engagement

Employee engagement is all the buzz, and rightfully so. When employees are engaged, they adopt the vision, values and purpose of the organization where they work. Engaged employees are passionate contributors, innovative problem solvers, and stunning colleagues. Plus, high-performing employees want to work in places like that and smart employers want to cultivate that kind of environment. Join us for #WorkTrends as our guest Leila Zayed from Best Companies Group addresses the importance of employee engagement and some practical ways to measure it in an organization. This conversation will help employers discover ways to proactively engage employees and retain talent—and of

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#WorkTrends Recap: How to Face the Scariest Employment Challenges of 2016

There are a number of hot issues, new developments, and emerging challenges will no doubt catch employers by storm in 2016. Supreme Court decisions, federal and state laws, and actions by federal regulatory agencies have called into question the very nature of the employer-employee relationship, as well as what rights and benefits employees should be entitled to in the workplace. There are, without question, a myriad of scary employment challenges for HR pros and businesses to navigate. During today’s #WorkTrends show, our guest Beth Zoller from XpertHR discussed these regulatory issues and a variety of topics you need to know to

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In Digital We Trust: 4 Questions to Keep Your Reputation In Check

Hold on —I’m just checking my account . . . No, I’m not looking to see if I’ve got the funds in my bank account for my car payment. Instead I mean (and so do you or will soon enough) how many people have recommended or endorsed me on LinkedIn, the number of “likes” I’ve posted on Facebook, the comments I’ve gotten on Airbnb — and whether I vote regularly. Like it or not (and do we?), the world of work is recalibrating your future career currency as you read this. Very soon, your online reputation will be far more significant

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HR Needs to Transform and Refocus, Now, with a Human Resource Business Partner (HRBP)

Human resources emerged during the last century in response to new government requirements, employment laws, and employer expectations. However, the last century was a long time ago, and business needs have changed. Most HR departments haven’t managed to keep pace. It’s time for HR to transform and refocus and make use of the human resource business partner (HRBP)—a pivotal role in the transformation process. HRBP: Internal HR Consulting On one side, you have traditional human resources—a profession focused on recruiting, retention, employee relations, benefits, compensation, and compliance. On the other is the rest of the company, faced with a catalog of

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5 ‘S’ecrets Of Engaged Social Leadership

A software technology company I consult with is in the middle of a sea change, a shift from one workplace culture to another. This change began when the company brought in a high-level technical executive from another company – not exactly a competitor, but a company in an adjoining market space. Only in tech, market spaces aren’t really independent with no overlap. There’s always the potential for a clash of personalities rather than a happy union. Unfortunately, it has not been graceful for my client. In fact, it’s been one giant stressful process and a wake-up call for the all of

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Top 4 Reasons Talent Pipelines are A No-Brainer

Let’s take a look at the U.S. labor market, shall we? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in February 2016, the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at a low 4.9 percent; in addition, 1.8 million people were “marginally attached” to the labor force, down by 356,000 from a year earlier. By definition, these individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. Among the marginally attached, there were 599,000 “discouraged workers” in February, down by 133,000 from a year earlier. “Discouraged workers are

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5 Steps To Awesome Community: Leaders Go Social

Some time ago, I wrote about employees as brand ambassadors and how they can help – or hurt – an organization’s global and social brand. It depends on how well the lines between personal brand and company brand are drawn. Once a company and leadership has the brand issue sorted out, it’s time to think more deeply about social community and the actual role of community managers. Many of my clients have created community manager roles. In fact, my friend and colleague Tim McDonald (and several other talented, hard working people listed here – Take time to read the stories of

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#WorkTrends Preview: How to Face the Scariest Employment Challenges of 2016

There are a number of hot issues, new developments, and emerging challenges that will inevitably catch employers by storm in 2016. Supreme Court decisions, federal and state laws, and actions by regulatory agencies have called into question the very nature of the employer-employee relationship. There are, without any doubt, a myriad of scary employment challenges for HR pros and businesses to navigate. From providing paid sick leave and equal employment opportunities to extending equal rights and benefits for same-sex partners to accommodating pregnant women, an employer must comply with new obligations that may require altering business operations. Workforce structure and policies

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Your Employees Are Engaged…REALLY?

A while back, I dropped in on an innovative workspace for one of my software technology clients– it’s a very cool office space. An open-plan, communal space with worktables in rows, very low partitions between areas, and no private offices. Note that I said workspace, because it wasn’t very clear to me how a vast room offering little in the way of private work areas could become a workplace – somewhere to get things done. Of course, I can’t forget the large sunny cafeteria and the designated area for Foosball table and other games. Ok, call me jaded but….this hip tech

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#WorkTrends Recap: Don’t Quit Yet: How to Create Your Perfect Job

Do you constantly think about quitting your job because it’s just not quite right and you know there’s the perfect job out there for you? Well hold that thought. During today’s #WorkTrends show, author and keynote speaker Ben Fanning joined us to talk about how you can turn your current job into one you love….and in the process, keep the great benefits. Fanning shared his number one secret to success, which is giving yourself permission to love your work. In the process, you create a space for exploration and possibility. In addition to learning how to love your work, we talked

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5 Methods for Social Leadership: Try Reverse Mentoring

I’ve been thinking a lot about global leadership applications for social learning lately. I spend a portion of my time helping companies and leaders hire and retain the very best and most applicable talent based on personality and skill set so this is a topic on my mind literally on a weekly basis. I have run into a recurrent trending theme in the past few years – reverse mentoring. It’s no secret there are greater numbers of older workers in the workplace right now; many baby boomers have evaporated retirement funds due to the recession, which means fewer career positions for

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Will Extended Parental Leave Ever Exist in the US?

The United States lags behind when it comes to parental rights. We’re on a shockingly short list of countries that offer no paid maternity leave and are one of just a few developed nations with no federally mandated parental leave. This isn’t a good thing for workers or companies. It leaves many people torn between health, family, and paycheck. For those who can’t afford to take time off, recovering from childbirth or adjusting to new routines can impact their performance at work. New parents who can afford not to go back to work after having children often don’t—leaving employers with vacant

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Make Social Technology Count In Your Workplace

A friend, who was involved in developing early word processing systems (imagine a world without Microsoft MSFT +0.44% Office or Open Office), was talking about the productivity-improvement claims made by fans of word processing. I’m like WHAT decade are we in? Smiles. I’m GASPing for air. By moving offices and workers away from typewriters, Dictaphone machines and stenography, businesses were supposed to see huge productivity gains. Employees would be empowered and secretaries (try finding a few of those today—know what I mean?) would have time to work on projects of higher value to companies. There would be no reliance on White-out,

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#WorkTrends Preview: Don’t Quit Yet: How to Create Your Perfect Job

Do you dream about finding the perfect job – the one position out there that has everything you could ever want and need? During this #WorkTrends show, author and keynote speaker Ben Fanning will join us to talk about how you can turn your current job into one you love….and in the process, keep the great benefits. Part of the secret to success? According to Fanning, it’s giving yourself permission to love your work. In the process, you create a space for exploration and possibility. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? In addition to learning how to love your work, we’ll dive into

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5 Ugly Myths About Changing Career in 30s

You are in your 30s, they say. You should already know what you want from this life and your career, they say. Oh, really? According to the research by Vodafone, people of 31-35 years old are the most unhappy at work. They feel undervalued, unfulfilled, demotivated, and they experience a mid-career blues, thinking of career change more often than others but still worrying if it’s worth making a swap here and now when you are not so young and promising as those graduates, full of energy and ready to do everything a boss tells. All those stories about 35-year-old Mary who

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5 Ways To Rock Star HR Leadership

One of the dirty little secrets of HR – Human Resources as a professional practice – is that it’s not always about the people and humanizing brands. Not really, anyway. Some HR professionals have more in common with the Governance, Risk and Control department of the enterprise. HR sometimes gets a bad rap for being more concerned with limiting risk to the corporation than it is with making sure the employees – people, everyone – are working well and that the company’s culture can sustain its people in a fast-paced business. As a talent management practitioner and speaker, I spend a

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#WorkTrends Recap: Where Have All the Mentors Gone?

Today’s #WorkTrends show addressed the risks and rewards of mentoring, identified some of the reasons mentoring is disappearing, and explored how to reintroduce these important business relationships. There are a myriad of benefits to well-designed and well-executed mentoring relationships in the workplace. However, it appears that the practice of mentoring is starting to taper off and, in some cases, disappear altogether. Along with our knowledgeable guests Jonathan Segal, a partner in Duane Morris’ Employment Group, and Sue Meisinger, a consultant and speaker on HR leadership issues, we also discussed: What exactly mentoring is (as well as what it isn’t) The importance

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The Disconnect Between our Educational System and Organizational Demand

Does our educational system leave new graduates at a disadvantage? The U.S. educational system has long been considered one of the best in the world, but in recent years, it’s stagnated. According to the latest Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) (a triennial global study), the U.S. was the lowest-performing industrialized country—below average in math, and only hovering around average in science and reading. Middle of the road won’t cut it in this global economy. The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently ranked the U.S. as third on the Global Competitiveness Index, behind Switzerland and Singapore, pointing to the quality of education

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Time For A New Leader In The C-Suite?

Business is remaking itself, and a concern for company culture appears to be high on the list of must-have skills (led by people who can add and subtract, of course). This truly makes me happy. What about you? I’ve been touting the benefits of company culture for a many years now and am very interested, but a bit skeptical to be honest, to read of this change in direction. Isn’t the C-Suite crowded already? There’s the CEO, CFO and COO, usually long-term appointments, flanked by the CIO, CSO and CMO, with average job tenures of two years. Usually the top HR

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The Impact of Technology on HR and What’s Ahead

Rapid changes in technology have affected businesses in more ways than we can count, from globalization and organizational adjustments to a workforce clamoring for remote and mobile job opportunities—and human resources has had to adapt swiftly. If HR wants to continue to play a critical role in helping businesses anticipate and manage organizational change, it must have technology at its core. With Millennials making up more than half of the current workforce—and predicted to make up 75 percent by 2020—HR is going to have to embrace and build on technological advancements to meet both employee expectations and business requirements. Talent analytics

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