Robert Taliana

Manufacturing’s talent gap won’t be solved by recruiting alone—it’s solved on the plant floor by leaders who create environments people want to stay in. Engagement isn’t an HR program; it’s an operational discipline you can measure and manage. Grateful to Emily Fenech for having me on HR Voices to talk about our journey at DS Smith North America—integrating a complex acquisition, building a high-performing HR function, and competing for talent in a tough market. We covered what’s working, where we’re still learning, and why culture must be owned by leaders, not “HR.” Here are a few themes we explored: - Post-merger integration as a growth engine: connecting DS Smith NA to our global tools, brand, and sustainability DNA (“redefining packaging for a changing world”), while right-sizing our footprint and bringing our Lebanon, IN greenfield plant online—now celebrating five years. - The manufacturing talent reality: over the next decade, the U.S. will see ~3.8M manufacturing job openings and only ~1.9M people to fill them. Attracting the next generation matters, but retention—the “sticky factor”—matters more. Site-level leadership is the difference. - Turning engagement into a business project: after tough survey results, we launched Project Engage with executive sponsorship, a project plan, monthly senior reporting, and targeted frontline leader training focused on engagement behaviors and cost-of-attrition. Result: meaningful score improvements and a mindset shift, this isn’t an HR initiative; it’s how we run the business. Why this work matters to me: I’ve always believed HR is a business function first. Know the metrics, speak the language of operations, and build trust with leaders and frontline teams. And keep learning, I even took a few free AI courses to better understand what’s possible in this emerging space. Curiosity creates options; discipline delivers outcomes. If you’re leading in manufacturing (or any complex, distributed environment), I’d love your perspective: how are you building “stickiness” on the front line? Listen to the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/eRmbMGxP https://lnkd.in/gFxxqhRV https://lnkd.in/gdHfi5QR Thanks again, Emily, for a thoughtful discussion—and to the DS Smith North America HR & Leadership team for doing the hard work they do day in and day out #Leadership #Manufacturing #AllVoices

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I’ve been watching the conversations unfold around the recent SHRM verdict, and like many HR practitioners, I’ve had to pause and reflect. When an organization that represents our profession is found liable for discrimination and retaliation, it hits differently. It challenges us to look closely at what we stand for. But as I’ve reflected, I realized something important: for me, SHRM has never been just an employer or a brand. It has been a learning space, one that shaped how I show up for my teams and my organization. The value I’ve gained from SHRM hasn’t come from press releases or public positioning. It’s come from late-night research before a difficult conversation. From conference speakers who expand my thinking. From templates, tools, and insights that help me build better processes and support employees more effectively. Those resources have genuinely helped me grow as an HR professional. I’ve also seen many conversations about SHRM’s shift in tone around DEI. With that, it reminded me of something essential: SHRM doesn’t define our commitment to inclusion...we do. Their stance does not dictate our values or the work we choose to prioritize. DEI is not a trend or an initiative we dust off when convenient. It should be woven naturally into how we lead, decide, and treat one another. We decide what matters. We decide where to focus. We decide the workplaces we build. SHRM’s position may have changed; ours doesn’t have to. This is why it’s important to separate SHRM the employer, with its own accountability issues, from SHRM the resource provider. One absolutely deserves scrutiny and change. The other has supported many of us in learning, solving problems, and moving our work forward. I’m not ignoring the very real issues that have come to light. In HR, we don’t get to turn away from difficult truths....we lean into them. I expect SHRM to do the same. But I also won’t dismiss the value its educational offerings and professional tools have brought to my development and everyday work. So yes, I’m paying attention. Yes, accountability matters. And yes, I will continue using the resources that help me grow and support others. Because at the end of the day, HR is not defined by any single organization. It’s defined by the people who show up with integrity, compassion, and courage, especially when the path is uncomfortable. DEI. Culture. Fairness. Humanity. These aren’t programs; they’re principles. And principles don’t disappear just because someone else steps away from them. I can hold SHRM accountable while still valuing the resources that helped shape my career. Both can be true. And moving forward, I’m choosing to stay focused on what I can control: how I lead, how I serve, and how I continue growing in a profession I care so deeply about. We set the standard for HR, not the headlines, not the institutions. Us. And I plan to keep doing that work with my values firmly intact.

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🚩 Red Flags We See in 2025 Resumes (That You Should Fix ASAP!) 🟥 Generic Summaries That Say Nothing Your summary is your elevator pitch—not just a space to say you're “motivated” or a “team player.” Be specific about what you bring to the table and tailor it to the role you're targeting. 🟥 Overly Designed Formats Yes, visuals matter—but if your resume looks like a magazine ad, it may not pass through ATS systems. Stick to clean, professional formatting that both humans and algorithms can read. 🟥 Lack of Results or Impact Simply listing duties isn’t enough in 2025. Employers want to see how you made a difference—quantify achievements with data and metrics wherever possible. 🟥 Missing Keywords If your resume doesn’t reflect the language of the job description, it might never be seen. Make sure you're speaking the same “lingo” as the roles you're applying to, especially when it comes to tools, technologies, and soft skills. 🟥 Outdated Experience That Overcrowds the Page Resumes aren't career timelines—they're marketing documents. Focus on the most relevant 10–15 years, and trim down anything that’s no longer aligned with your goals. 📩 If you have any HR staffing needs, please reach out to me at Julie jellinger@ossanna.com. Let’s find your next great hire—together. 🌐 Visit our website to learn more: www.ossanna.com #resumetips #jobsearch2025 #careeradvice #HRstaffing #recruitingtips #jobseekers #careercoach #resumehelp #talentacquisition #jobsearchstrategy #recruiterlife #ATSfriendly #resumewriting #staffingsolutions #staffing #hrjobs #careerbranding #hr #humanresources #innovation #career #jobs

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How do you enhance workplace culture? You live it—every day. Culture isn’t what’s written on a poster or mentioned during onboarding. It’s what people feel in meetings, in hallway chats, and even in tough conversations. If you want to enhance your company culture, start here: ✨ Model the behavior you want to see. Respect, accountability, curiosity—they start with leadership, but they grow when everyone shows up that way. 🗣 Create space for real conversations. People want to be heard. Not once a year during a survey—but consistently. Make feedback normal, not formal. 🤝 Celebrate the team, not just the wins. Milestones matter, but so do birthdays, personal growth, and the little moments that connect us as humans. 🛠 Build systems that reflect your values. Recognition, flexibility, wellness, development—what you value should show up in your policies, not just your posters. Culture isn’t fixed. It’s built and rebuilt every day by the choices we make and the people we empower. #Leadership #Inclusion #Teamwork 

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The Power of Empathy in Strategic HR Leadership: Last Friday, over tea, one of our line supervisors confided in me about serious family pressures. Moments like that remind me empathy isn’t a soft skill—it’s a strategic lever for trust, retention, and innovation. When HR embeds empathy into talent and leadership processes, we transform culture and accelerate business performance. Key strategic actions: • Integrate “Pulse Conversations” into your talent-review cadence to spot risk and opportunity early • Train leaders on empathy-based coaching to boost engagement and cut turnover • Align recognition programs to celebrate personal milestones as critical business moments • Embed empathy KPIs (e.g., manager “care scores,” psychological-safety metrics) into leadership dashboards • Leverage empathy insights to influence workforce-planning and succession-strategy decisions By systematizing empathy—through data, processes, and performance metrics—we create resilient, high-trust organizations where people—and results—flourish.

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📊 31% of U.S. workers say their job causes constant stress 📊 22% report anxiety because of work This isn’t abstract. It shows up in: - Missed deadlines - Team burnout - Disengagement during critical moments At PPC, here’s how we approach it: - We normalize mental health check-ins during 1:1s - We create room to pause without guilt - We model self-care at the leadership level When people feel supported, performance follows. Mental well-being is also a business conversation, and it should start at the top. #MentalHealth #WellBeingAtWork #Leadership

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Staying Relevant in HR "Be relevant." A simple statement, yet one that holds immense weight. I recently heard it during a podcast centered on collaboration and leadership. While much of the discussion lingered on familiar ground about what makes a good leader and the importance of teamwork, this phrase stood out for its depth. It left me reflecting on what "being relevant" truly means in my line of work as an HR professional. After 25 years in the field, I couldn't help but ask myself, "Am I still relevant in HR? Is it even possible to stay relevant in such a dynamic, people-focused profession after so long?" To be relevant in HR, at face value, likely means staying informed and capable. A solid foundation in human resources, staying abreast of evolving legal requirements, adopting the latest "best practices," and understanding the business landscape are all critical. It’s about being a trusted partner who knows the ins and outs of compliance, strategy, and organizational goals. However, I believe this only scratches the surface. Knowledge and technical skills may make us functional, but do they make us truly relevant? Yes, staying updated on laws, policies, and "what’s new" is necessary, but it is also the easiest part of the job. With readily available resources like Google, HR professionals can access information and expand their knowledge quickly. What truly sets someone apart in this field, in my view, is human connection. Being relevant in HR requires compassion, great listening skills, a genuine passion for helping people succeed, and a deep care for others. Without the ability to forge meaningful relationships and connect at a core level, all the academic skills and certifications fall short. Empathy and trustworthiness are the intangible qualities that make HR a blend of art and science. People come to HR not only for solutions but for understanding and support. To be relevant is to be a person others trust to guide them through not just the logistics of work, but also its heavier, messier emotional challenges. To remain relevant, HR professionals must ensure their own emotional well-being. Difficult situations, challenging individuals, and setbacks are part of the job. Learning to “let go” of emotional baggage and developing strategies to stay grounded ensures long-term success and mental health. Remaining relevant also means confronting the hard truths about ourselves. It involves letting go of emotions or situations that hold us hostage, acknowledging when we’ve made mistakes, and committing to doing better. It means innovating in our approach to work and relationships at every stage of our careers. Ask yourself, "Am I really connecting with the people I aim to serve? Am I evolving not just as a professional, but as a person?" Because to stay truly relevant in HR, we must first and foremost remain connected to what matters most: the people.

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Based on my work experience over the last several years in an HR leadership role, one recurring observation stands out to me: employees broadly fall into two key categories, High Potential Employees and Value Contributors. High Potentials are driven by ambition. Their hunger to grow, learn, and take on more is intense. They are constantly chasing new knowledge, often going beyond what’s immediately relevant to their current role. Their energy is infectious, their curiosity admirable. But here lies the challenge in their eagerness to consume more and move faster, they sometimes skip the depth of experience in their current responsibilities. They may know a lot, but not all of it is applied, and sometimes, they lack the grounding that comes from executing consistently on core tasks. If not coached or guided properly, they risk becoming strategic thinkers who lack execution muscle, theoretically sound, but practically weak. On the other hand, Value Contributors follow a more measured path. They may not have soaring aspirations, but they build strong foundations. Their learning is rooted in need, and they apply what they learn diligently. Over time, they become dependable, hands-on performers who quietly but significantly impact the organization. They may not chase knowledge, but they live it through application. Both types of employees are essential to a balanced and high-performing organization. However, high potentials need intentional coaching. Without the right guidance, their potential can fade into unfulfilled promise. Nurtured right, they can become future leaders. But left unchecked, they risk becoming disengaged, ineffective, or even obsolete.

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🚨𝐇𝐑 𝐇𝐨𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞: The CHRO Tenure Reality No One Wants to Admit... We keep judging HR candidates for “short stints.” But here’s the uncomfortable truth: Average CHRO or SVP of HR tenure today is ~4–4.5 years. Pre-COVID, 6–8+ years was far more common. Leadership is turning over faster than ever. And when a CHRO moves… the entire HR org moves with them. What actually happens: 🔹 New CHRO → new vision 🔹 New vision → new leadership teams 🔹 New leadership team → quiet exits/bringing old team along/RIFs/etc. 🔹 Quiet exits/RIFs → ripple-effect turnover Now here’s where great candidates get unfairly labeled: Someone joins an HR team 3 years into a CHRO’s tenure. That CHRO exits a year later. The org restructures. That person leaves after ~2 years. Then they go interview elsewhere… and get tagged a “job hopper.” That’s not job hopping. That’s organizational whiplash. We’re judging resumes using old-school tenure rules in a post-COVID leadership carousel. If senior & executive leadership is allowed mobility, the teams beneath them deserve the same understanding. Otherwise, we’re going to keep rejecting great talent for decisions they never made. Agree or disagree? Thoughts? 👇👇 #HR #marketrealities #hrleadership #careermovement

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If the termination meeting is the first honest conversation, the process failed long before that day. One of the hardest parts of HR is sitting in termination meetings where the employee looks genuinely shocked. Not defensive. Not argumentative. Just… surprised. That reaction usually tells a bigger story. Because in healthy organizations: ✔️ Feedback is ongoing, not saved for the end. ✔️Expectations are clear. ✔️Performance conversations happen early and often. ✔️Leaders don’t avoid difficult discussions. Termination should never feel like a plot twist. It should feel like the final step in a process the employee already understood. HR’s role is to guide the process, ensure fairness, and keep it compliant. But we shouldn’t be the first ones delivering the hard truth. That responsibility sits with the leader. When feedback is delayed, softened, or avoided altogether, the outcome is almost always the same: confusion, mistrust, and a difficult exit for everyone involved. Good leadership isn’t about avoiding uncomfortable conversations. It’s about having them early enough to make a difference. How does your organization handle performance conversations, early and direct, or late and reactive?

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