Kerri Roberts, HR strategist, author of The HR Easy Button, and founder of Salt and Light Advisors, joins this episode to dive into the world of people operations, culture, and AI’s growing role in HR. Kerri shares her journey from corporate HR and M&A to launching her own advisory firm, serving small to mid-sized businesses with fractional and project-based HR support. We explore hiring strategy, culture clarity, change management, and why AI is no longer optional for businesses that want to grow. Plus, Kerri shares what she learned writing a nearly 1,000-page HR handbook (now a three-part series) and how business owners can use clarity to attract the right people and repel the wrong ones.
🎯 What You'll Learn:
Why HR is more than policies and paperwork—it’s about clarity and alignment
How to hire strategically instead of reactively, and avoid costly mis-hires
The power of being brutally honest in job postings and interviews
How AI can streamline recruiting, reduce bias, and make better hiring decisions
Ways to overcome employee resistance to change and guide them through adoption
How to use AI as a thought partner, not just a task-doer, to preserve creativity
Why emotional stability and openness are critical traits to hire for in growth-mode businesses
What writing The HR Easy Button taught Kerri about her own process and purpose
🔑 Key Topics Covered:
✅ Strategic HR Foundations for SMBs
✅ Hiring, Culture, & Change Management
✅ AI in Recruiting & People Operations
✅ Standardizing Processes to Reduce Bias
✅ Crafting Job Postings that Attract & Repel
✅ Leadership Clarity & Vision Casting
✅ Building Resilient, Future-Ready Teams
👤 Featured Guest:Kerri Roberts – Author, The HR Easy Button | Founder, Salt and Light Advisors | HR & People Operations Strategist
🎙️ About The Open Concept:Your go-to podcast for leadership, culture, and business growth insights—breaking down the walls that keep you from building something great.
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