June 2026 Newsletter

Jun 5, 2026

June 2026 News You Can Use
 

Events
 
Want to explore all of our upcoming events?
 
Check out our
event calendar!
 
 
 
 

June’s Featured Training Topic:

Prioritizing Psychological Safety in the Workplace  
 
Did you know that psychological safety is the #1 predictor of a high-performing team?
 
Of course, our employees deserve physical safety in the workplace, but what’s your current assessment of whether people FEEL welcomed and an authentic belonging?
 
Here are some questions to think about regarding psychological safety in the workplace:
  • Can your employees make mistakes at work?
  • What happens if they feel stuck?
  • Are there pathways to advancement for all groups of people, or just some?
  • Can employees ask questions without fear of appearing less than?
  • Can they share openly when words, jokes, or phrases weren’t intended to offend, but did?
 
Trust requires vulnerability. And if you need a start or a refresher for your organization, that’s what HR Annie Training is here for!
 
We can help you empower your team with the awareness and skills to ensure that everyone can truly be their authentic selves in our workplaces.
 
Check with your consultant (if you’re a current client) or reach out to us to learn more about audits and trainings that enhance your culture of belonging!
 
 
Reminder: New clients get $500 off a live, facilitated training when you book in the first six months!
 
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ON THE ONLINE COURSE LIBRARY

Team Dynamics Bundle: Communication Foundations & Conflict Resolution

 
Congrats on hitting the mid-point of the year!
 
Now’s a great time to pause and take an honest look at your team dynamics. How are things really going? Think about if there is collaboration, trust, and open communication.
 
Are employees bringing you concerns, feedback, and new ideas?
Are they asking for help when they need it?
Do they know how to effectively work through disagreements with peers?
 
If any of those feel like a work in progress, we’ve created a bundle of two of our most popular online courses to help: Communication Foundations & Conflict Resolution.
 
Bundle & Save:  $138   $99
 
 
Communication Foundations
This course helps employees…
  • Understand the foundations of effective communication.
  • Learn diverse communication styles and preferences to build a better connection with others.
  • Review what causes communication breakdowns.
  • Reflect on their role as an active sender and receiver of communication.
Eligible for 1 SHRM and 1 HRCI credit.
 
Click the button below to get the Team Dynamics Bundle and start learning today!
 
 
 
Conflict Resolution: Finding Common Ground in the Workplace
This course helps employees…
  • Understand how to best participate in conversations that involve conflict.
  • Learn frameworks to share their experiences and communicate their needs to others.
  • Discover that we have more common ground than may be assumed and understand how trust grows when we communicate with openness, vulnerability, and a commitment to one another.
Eligible for 1 SHRM and 1 HRCI credit.
 
Click the button below to get the Team Dynamics Bundle and start learning today!
 
 
This bundle (along with many other courses) are available in our online library so your team can learn at their own pace, anytime, anywhere!
 
We also offer these as live, facilitated trainings if you’d prefer us to bring a more hands-on experience to your team.
 

 

HR Annie Recruitment Highlight

 

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Recruiting With an Inclusive Lens

 
Inclusive hiring starts long before anyone sits down for an interview. It starts with the words in your job ad.
 
We see it all the time: postings packed with “rockstar” or “ninja” energy, a wish list of 15 “required” qualifications, and no salary range in sight.
 
Each of those choices quietly signals to entire groups of candidates that this role isn’t meant for them.
 
Women, career changers, and folks from underrepresented backgrounds are especially likely to self-select out. 
 
A few small shifts go a long way:
  • Post the salary range. Asking for it shouldn’t be a hurdle.
  • Trim required qualifications down to 5-7 true must-haves.
  • Use a structured interview: same questions, same scoring criteria, for every candidate. It’s the most effective way to reduce bias.
 
Build inclusion into the front end of your process, and you won’t have to chase it later. You’ll end up with a stronger candidate pool and hires who fit because they’re qualified.
 
Want a second set of eyes on your job ads or interview templates? Contact us today for a free 30-minute consult!
 

 

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Hiring? Check Out this All-Star Candidate!

 
Senior HR Generalist and HR Business Partner with over 18 years of experience supporting employees and managers across nonprofit, manufacturing, technology, and small business environments.
 
Brings strong judgment, hands-on implementation, and extensive expertise in employee relations, benefits, compliance, performance management, and multistate HR operations.
 
Recognized for working closely with managers, handling complex situations with care, and establishing equitable, compliant people practices in both on-site and remote settings.
 
Core Skills:
Employee Relations
Performance Management
Benefits Administration
HRIS & ATS Multistate Compliance
ADA & FMLA
Manager Support
Labor Relations Recruiting & Onboarding
Training & Development
OSHA & Workplace Safety
 
Previous Roles:
Director of People & Culture
HR Director
HR Manager
HR Generalist
 
Interested in getting in touch with this candidate? Reach out to us to schedule an introduction!
 

 

Consulting

 

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Building Better Team Connection & Engagement

 
Most business owners genuinely want their employees to feel connected—to the work, to each other, and to the organization itself.
 
The tricky part is knowing where to begin.
 
Here’s what we’ve seen work, time and time again: ask your people how they’re doing. Then actually listen!
 
 
What are Employee Listening Sessions & How Can They Help?
 
Employee listening sessions are…
  1. Structured conversations,
  2. Facilitated by a neutral third party,
  3. That give your team a real opportunity to share their experiences in the workplace.
 
We’re talking about real dialogue that brings to the surface what’s working, what isn’t, and what people need to feel like they truly belong where they spend so much of their time.
 
For leaders, the value goes both ways. You walk away with honest, actionable insight. Your employees walk away feeling seen and heard.
 
And that second part matters more than most people expect!
 
 
 
 
  • Gallup’s research consistently shows that employees who feel their voice matters are more engaged, more productive, and far less likely to leave.
  • Replacing a single employee can cost 50% to 200% of their annual salary, so creating conditions that make people want to stay is one of the smartest financial decisions a business can make.
 
Listening sessions are a practical investment in your people and your bottom line.
 
 
Why Do They Work So Well?
 
One reason these conversations work so well with an outside facilitator is that people talk more openly when they’re not speaking directly to their employer.
 
That candor is what makes the insight valuable!
 
 
 
How HR Annie Can Help
 
At HR Annie, we design and facilitate listening sessions that protect psychological safety while giving leadership a clear, honest picture of where their culture actually stands.
 
If engagement feels flat, if your strongest employees seem checked out, or if turnover keeps catching you off guard, the answer is often found in a conversation that just hasn’t happened yet.
 
We’d love to help you have it. Reach out to learn more about how we can help!
 

 

 

Client & Partner Love

 

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THANK YOU to Wayfinder Beer & Fast Times Pizza!

 
We’re excited to welcome Wayfinder Beer and Fast Times Pizza to our second Engagement Series session, A Conversation About Employee Motivation, on June 17th!
 
A huge thank you to Wayfinder for providing their great beers and to Fast Times Pizza for bringing their delicious slices for us all to enjoy.
 
About Wayfinder Beer & Fast Times Pizza
 
Wayfinder Beer is a long-time client of ours based in Portland, Oregon. They’re a brewery that combines old- and new-school lager techniques. Their lager-fanatic founders are redefining lager and blending it with the traditions of Europe and America’s favorite beer.
 
You should also check out Wayfinder co-owner Matt Jacobson’s other concept, Fast Times Pizza & Soft Serve! Fast Times is a late-night, 80s-inspired pizzeria on East Burnside, serving up New York-inspired slices, salads, and soft serve.

 

Pre-Employment Screening

 

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Background Checks With Inclusion in Mind

 
A background check is one of the last steps before a candidate joins your team. It’s also one of the most overlooked moments to demonstrate your values.
 
A clunky or rigid screening process can undo the inclusive recruiting work you did up front.
 
Inclusive screening still means thorough due diligence. The difference is in how you run it:
  • Tell the candidate up front what your employment screening process entails.
  • When something comes back, conduct an individualized assessment, and be aware of local or industry regulations that may apply to your organization.
  • Apply the same criteria to every candidate at the same stage of the process.
  • Send FCRA-compliant pre-adverse and adverse action notices, every time.
 
Fair-chance hiring holds the same standard for fit and capability.
 
It also keeps you from losing strong candidates over things that have nothing to do with whether they can do the job. 
 
Our pre-employment services were built around this kind of thoughtful, compliant screening. Curious? Click the button below to learn more!
 

 

Giving Back
 

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Join Our Blood Drive in July

 
HR Annie and the American Red Cross are hosting an upcoming blood drive on July 15th at our office.
 
The need for blood is constant, and only volunteer donors can meet it for patients in our community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds, and most of us will need blood at some point in our lives.
 
Your donation can save lives!

 

Thank you so much for being a part of everything we do.
 

#HRisCool

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