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Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Applying the “Cheers” Principle to Employee Engagement 

The iconic theme song from the sitcom Cheers captures a fundamental human desire: to be recognized, valued, and part of a close-knit community. The lyrics, “Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came,” encapsulate a culture of belonging and camaraderie. While Cheers was a fictional Boston bar, its underlying principle can be […]

Why HR Should Embrace Skill Loss to Gen AI as a Strategic Advantage

In today’s workplace, evolution isn’t driven by biology — it’s driven by technology. As generative AI rapidly transforms how work gets done, HR leaders face an uncomfortable question: What happens when employees start losing certain skills to AI? Rather than resisting this shift, the most forward-thinking HR professionals are realizing that letting go of some […]

New Trump Order Targets Disparate Impact Liability

In his administration’s continued quest to “encourage meritocracy and a colorblind society” and oppose “race- or sex-based favoritism,” President Trump issued a new Executive Order on April 23, 2025, titled “Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy.” The order specifically targets disparate impact liability. Background on Title VII Disparate Impact Liability Title VII of the Civil […]

How to Scale Culture Without Losing What Makes It Work

It’s one thing to build a strong culture—it’s another to scale it. As organizations grow—whether through rapid hiring, geographic expansion, or acquisitions—company culture can get diluted or distorted.  New people come in, processes shift, and what used to feel natural now requires intention. The risk? Losing the very culture that made workplace growth possible in […]

3 Company Culture Strategies From SPARK HR

In an age where only 31% of U.S. employees are engaged at work, HR professionals have the heavy burden of figuring out how to create a company culture that engages employees. After all, an unhappy workforce leads to an unproductive and unsuccessful organization. Business is on the line. However, there are 3 strategies that HR […]

Faces of HR: How MasterClass’s CPO Turned Missteps into HR Masterstrokes

Melanie Steinbach is a driving force in Human Resources (HR), currently serving as CPO of MasterClass and CBO of MasterClass at Work. In this role, she shapes HR strategy and operations, spearheads recruitment, and champions culture initiatives. Her career is marked by a consistent thread: the strategic alignment of talent and business. A Career Forged in […]

Company Culture Is What You Tolerate: Why Consistency Matters More Than Slogans

Most organizations can describe their company culture, but fewer can prove it. Culture isn’t what’s written on a careers page or stated in a company all-hands, but what gets rewarded, ignored, corrected—or tolerated. Culture Lives in the Gray Areas The biggest threat to a healthy culture is inconsistency. When some behaviors are addressed and others […]

Culture Change Champions: Four Leaders Who Transformed Their Workplace

Culture isn’t a document or a mission statement at an organization—it’s how people behave when no one’s watching. Because it’s built over time, reshaping culture can feel like turning a cargo ship: slow, sensitive, and full of resistance. But it can be done. Here are four business leaders who faced the challenge head-on—and came out […]

Phantom Ownership: How to Use Phantom Units to Incentivize Star Employees

Businesses often face the challenge of attracting and retaining star employees. It can be tempting to offer star employees ownership in the business to prevent the hardship of losing star employees after investing time, money, and resources into training and onboarding. The main drawback of offering ownership is potentially relinquishing some control in the business. […]

rewards

Revisiting Your Recognition System? 5 Research-Backed Ways to Make It Actually Work

There are five common pitfalls that prevent well-meaning recognition programs from connecting with employees in meaningful ways. I explore that topic in Part 1 of this article series. Now it’s time to shift gears and explore what does work. Based on decades of research into motivation, emotional needs, and applied neuroscience, these five practices will […]