Show Notes
Listen, I tried so hard not to cry recording this episode.
Today George Boone and I are talking about grief, the thing that HR loves to pretend can be solved with a three-day bereavement policy and a sad little “OOO.”
But grief is messy and human and shows up everywhere: in how you work, lead, love, set boundaries, and literally get out of bed.
George and I both carry losses that changed us forever, and instead of shoving that into the corporate void, we’re unpacking what it actually means to keep showing up while your heart is busy learning a whole new shape.
It’s honest. It’s tender. And somehow…it’s also hopeful.
Teamtailor is the fun, intuitive ATS that candidates actually like and recruiters don’t dread opening on Monday mornings. Create branded career sites, automate the boring stuff, and give candidates the hiring experience they dream of — without burning out your team. Check them out here.
00:04:27 - Yes, George Boone IS Related to Daniel Boone and Benson Boone
00:08:43 - The Grief That Shaped George the Most as a Person
00:16:45 - How Grief Shows up at Work
00:27:38 - How Grief Shows up in Your Style of Leadership
00:34:03 - The Loneliness That Comes With Grief
00:39:32 - Functioning at Work While You’re Experiencing Grief
00:58:02 - How Grief Makes You Softer/Sharper
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 George:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelboone/
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
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.
We’re back in action, and I gave this season one rule: anything but AI.
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.
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!
AI is already crashing the workplace party, but apparently, the humans were left off the guest list!