I Hate It Here

S11 E10: Engagement Scores Don't Lie, But the Way You're Using Them Absolutely Does with Anne Maltese

I Hate It Here

Show Notes

We have all handed an engagement score to a CEO, watched them nod confidently, say something completely incorrect about what it means, and had to just sit there smiling while dying a little inside.

Just me?

…Definitely not just me.

The number isn't always lying, but the questions we've been asking for the last decade might be!

My guest today is Anne Maltese from Quantum Workplace, and she has spent nearly 20 years watching what happens when people data lands in executive rooms, between the good, the bad, and the deeply cringe-worthy.

We're getting into new ways to think about engagement, smarter questions to bring your leadership team, and why the disengaged people on your team might not be who you think they are.

Buckle up!

---

Quantum Workplace helps leaders build thriving teams that fuel business success. We give leaders at every level a clear path forward—by unlocking critical talent insights across engagement, performance, and development. With clarity and confidence, people leaders can act decisively, scale leadership quality, and strengthen connection and performance.

Trusted by thousands of people-focused companies, Quantum Workplace makes it easier to keep teams aligned, empowered, growing, and valued on the path to business success.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠quantumworkplace.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more.

---

00:02:13 - Something New Anne Wants to Learn This Year

00:05:11 - The Biggest Shift Anne Has Seen Around How Orgs Talk About Engagement

00:11:20 - Is Your Engagement Healthy?

00:16:39 - Smarter Questions to Walk Into an Exec Room With Instead of Just Standard Engagement Scores

00:27:01 - What Does it Mean if Someone is a Top Performer, But Disengaged?

00:34:24 - What Good Data Storytelling Looks Like in Practice

00:38:35 - Does Data Show That HR Leaders are Thriving?

00:42:23 - How HR Should Start Rethinking Measuring and Reporting Engagement

00:48:03 - What Gives Anne Hope For the Future

---

And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration.

https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/

And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!

Follow Anne:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-maltese-0b9a876/

Follow Hebba:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef

More from I Hate It Here

Oct 19, 2026

I invited RyanMae McAvoy Pepin and Josiah Hernández back to talk HR, and somehow we ended up recruiting for a hypothetical cult and debating whether Michael Scott deserves a little credit.

Oct 12, 2026

We’re back in action, and I gave this season one rule: anything but AI.

Sep 14, 2026

I started this solo episode planning to talk about the evolution of HR, and ended up using one of my fav shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to explain why this job can be emotionally unhinged, and suspiciously dependent on one exhausted woman saving everybody.

Sep 7, 2026

HR keeps getting handed the mop after someone else’s AI strategy floods the building, and frankly, I’m pretty sure you’re already over it!

Aug 31, 2026

AI is already crashing the workplace party, but apparently, the humans were left off the guest list!

See all episodes →