Episode 130: Human Resources Can Be Humorous: Stories from the HRShark
Do you haveโฆ
๐ง Curiosity about HR?
๐ A team thatโs closed off?
๐ฐ Fear about being yourself at work?
๐คญ Desire to be funny at work without going overboard?
If one, all, or none, todayโs ๐ถ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐! ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ episode is for YOU. Make some commotion for our HRShark, ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ. He speaks to the daily grind of ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ, the role HR plays in making a workplace culture thrive, and how to make humor a priority.
๐ฌ Donโt miss this convo - your jokes are on the line!
Show Links:
Want to book Erin to speak at your organization or large-scale event: Learn more here!
Connect with Clark:
Instagram and TikTok @hrshark_
Connect with Erin Diehl:
Email Erin: info@learntoimproveit.com
Erin Diehl is the founder and Chief โYes, Andโ officer of improve it! and host of the improve it! Podcast. Sheโs a performer, facilitator and professional risk-taker who lives by the mantra, โget comfortable with the uncomfortable.โ Through a series of unrelated dares, Erin has created improve it!, a unique professional development company that pushes others to laugh, learn and grow. Her work with clients such as United Airlines, PepsiCo, Groupon, Deloitte, Motorola, Walgreens, and The Obama Foundation earned her the 2014 Chicago RedEye Big Idea Award and has nominated her for the 2015-2019 Chicago Innovations Award.
This graduate from Clemson University is a former experiential marketing and recruiting professional as well as a veteran improviser from the top improvisational training programs in Chicago, including The Second City, i.O. Theater, and The Annoyance Theatre.
When she is not playing pretend or facilitating, she enjoys running and beach dates with her husband and son, and their eight-pound toy poodle, BIGG Diehl.
You can follow the failed it! podcast on Instagram @learntoimproveit and facebook, and you can follow Erin personally on Instagram @keepinitrealdiehl here. You can also check out improve it! and how we can help your organization at www.learntoimproveit.com. We canโt wait to connect with you online!
โI love this podcast and I love Erin!!โ
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Episode 130 Transcription
Erin (00:03):
Improve it! Peeps. It's everybody's favorite week. HR Shark Week. You didn't even know that was a thing, but now you know. So I'm thrilled to bring you one of my new favorite content creators on the inner web today, Clark HR Shark Clark. He is an HR leader on Wall Street, a career coach, and a content creator. And HR Shark Clark is not only a very fun name to say, it is also a TikTok Instagram and content creating machine. Clark has a full-time job in human resources and also spends his weekends creating content to help human resources professionals feel less alone to bring humor to the workplace. So today we're gonna talk about just that, why human resources can also be humorous. We're gonna listen to some of his takes on some of the top trends in the workplace, and we are going to talk about some of the biggest misconceptions of HR and just have fun. That's really the goal of today's show today, is for you to sit back, relax, and enjoy. So here it is, my interview with the one the only HR Shark Clark.
Erin (01:23):
Are you a leader searching for new and innovative ways to drive employee engagement and team morale through the roof? Do you wanna create a company culture where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued? Hi, I'm Erin Diehl, business Improv edutainer, failfluencer and professional zoombie who is ready to help you improve your it, your it being the thing that makes you, you think of me as your keeping it real. Professional development bestie who is here to help you learn from your failures. Stand tall in your power and improve yourself so you can improve the lives of others. Oh, and did I mention that we are improving your IT through play? That's right. I am an improvisational comedy expert who uses experiential learning to help you have your aha ha moments. Those are the moments when the light bulb goes off and you're laughing at the same time. So grab your chicken hat, your notebook, and your inner child because I'm gonna take you on a journey that is both fun and transformative. Welcome to the Improve It Podcast clock. Welcome to the improve it! Podcast.
Clark (02:53):
Hey, hey, hey
Erin (02:55):
<Laugh>, were you like, what just happened? I feel like I'm in a recording studio like I have on like the Mariah Carey headphone and I was giving you like the vibratto with the hand gesture. Welcome to the Improvement Pod. So happy to have you here. I gotta give them the railed yell. I gotta do it Clark. I gotta do it because this, I wouldn't be a fail flu if I didn't lean in and say the truth. Clark and I have met before and this is a secret we recorded and our internet was fuzzy and we had some sound issues. So we said, you know what? Scrap, We're doing it again. So this is take two on a different day. Fail. Yeah,
Clark (03:33):
Failure
Erin (03:34):
Fail. Yeah. So I'm gonna ask you this question and maybe you have some different answers in our time before, What are five interesting facts about Clark that we can't find on your resume? Which we don't know your resume cause we don't know your last name. Don't know anywhere that HR Shark lives. What are five fun facts about you? I'm gonna start it off with this little Diddy. Five x five x five x of effects fx, five x Clark one.
Clark (04:04):
Let's do it. Number one. I'm a small town boy, so I grew up in a tiny little town in Ohio, the cornfields of Ohio. And not a lot of people know that.
Erin (04:10):
Yes, right. Number two.
Clark (04:13):
So I'm a, I'm a die hard Buckeye sports fan. I fourth generation Buckeye, my whole family went there. Try not to hold it against me, but if you, you see me send me a go bucks and I will be your best friend.
Erin (04:24):
Ok, we gotta talk about that. Three.
Clark (04:27):
So three a little bit career. So I've moved all around the country with my job. I've, like I said earlier, from a small town in Ohio. I've been in, spent time in Charlotte, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Chicago, and now I'm in Dallas. So I've been all over the map and in the US with my job. So on
Erin (04:41):
Fact. Okay, four,
Clark (04:44):
Four more of a personal thing. I'm a softie. So every, every wedding that I go to, I typically get emotional. I cry. I just, I love seeing happy people and I'm very, I'm a softie, so people call me the people you know every well, I'm a softie.
Erin (04:58):
Love it. Five
Clark (05:00):
And five, I'm gonna make a shameless plug. So I have an ebook that I created out there on my pages that it should definitely look up. It's how to Land Your Dream, Dream Job, Interview Hacks. So definitely check it out, 43 pages of Pure how I've gone throughout my career and where I got to where I am today. So check it
Erin (05:17):
Out. Okay. We will link through it in the show notes. That is amazing. Shameless plug away. But let's go back to one of the most important facts. As you know, I am a Clemson tiger through and through and I did find this out last time we chatted and I continued this interview that you are an Ohio State fan and that's fine, That's fine. We're still friends. We we're still friends, <laugh>, but I don't know if I can ever say go Bucks. I don't know.
Clark (05:44):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I mean Clemson's been a pretty good rivalry the last couple years. I think we're split over the last couple years, but I think all time Clemson's got us beat. So yeah, I don't know. It's, it's a friendly rivalry, but when we play football, it's, it's not so friendly.
Erin (05:59):
Ah, I know it is friendly until that moment and then I'm like, <laugh>. But you know what whole other topic, whole other podcast football has taken for me, football feels different post pandemic. I don't know why I'm like not as die hard as I was. So that's my own journey. We won't go there. Let's go back to you. So let me ask you this. If we could have an intention, if you could have an intention for this show, for the improved audience, what is one word that you want to get at a today's show or to give to our audience today?
Clark (06:29):
One word. So I would come up with laugh. So in your job in general, I don't care what you do, if it's hr, if it's not, just don't take yourself so serious and just find time to laugh throughout the
Erin (06:40):
Day. Yes. Have you ever used improv for business or ever done improv before?
Clark (06:50):
I have not personally been involved in improv. I've seen people like yourselves in like, facilitate and I'm super impressed and, and how much it brings out of leadership teams and close niche. So I've, I've seen it before, but I've never personally been involved. I think it's a great, great thing that many leadership teams should be involved with.
Erin (07:08):
Yes, I agree. I mean, clearly made a career out of it. Love it. But that's cool. So you, what I love is that you have no comedy background and you have started this awesome entity. HR Shark. HR Shark Clark, which is one of my favorite. I actually told my toddler that I interviewed HR Shark Clark the other weekend, like HR Shark Clark. Like you just thought it was the best rhyme ever. So what made you decide to start this and Instagram account? HR Shark?
Clark (07:40):
Yeah, so originally, I mean like a lot of businesses created during the pandemic really wanted to help people from a career perspective, like very fortunate to where I am today. And from an HR I've, I've gained a lot of, of skills and tips and tricks along the way. And I, well during the pandemics, like I wanna give back, I wanna help people to, to hit their career goals and kind of take that next step that they never really imagined that was out there. And so the best way to get put yourself out there is just jump on social media and, and humor was how I, so I, I kind of spin like different tips and tricks and put a humor thing to them so they resonate versus like getting in front of a camera and just talking very boring and kind of getting up there and talking about, it's like, how do I deliver this and pitch this to people to get them to laugh? And that's what humor comes into play. And so that's what really makes me stand out versus other influencers in the space is I put in more of a humor spin to it. So try to help as many people as possible and leading that with humor. So
Erin (08:29):
I love it. And you are an influencer. I am a fail influencer. We are so different yet the same. So, okay, let me ask you this. When you lead with humor, so when you get into your creative mode, which you told me before, you batch, you sit down, you crank these out on the weekends, which that takes time, effort, energy planning, intention to sit down on a Saturday and do so. For you, when you do this and you lead with humor, how does that hit differently for people? What is, what does the humor do to the content?
Clark (09:07):
Yeah, so I mean, in in general, like finding a job is, is very stressful to begin with. It's just like, oh yeah, have to prep and all the research and just a lot of awkward conversations with people that you don't know and you have to pitch yourself and talk about yourself. And so it's like putting that humorous spin to it and getting a good laugh. So it, like, it really helps you buy in. So I've had so many friends like reach out to me and so I just went through this HR training, it's super dry and boring. Like how do you do this every day? And it's like, you just gotta, you gotta, you gotta make it fun. You gotta, you gotta spin it so people can laugh and enjoy it. And that's how you consume data. That's how people like can be able to relate to different things. It's like, oh that made me laugh cuz I felt that way before. So you know what, this guy, he kind of might know what he's talking about. And so just make it relatable content and make, give people a laugh along the
Erin (09:47):
Way. Oh my God, I love it. And that's exactly how I feel about humor too. It's empathy, right? You show people, you know, what I find so interesting is people find the most mundane things interesting and funny because they're relatable. And that's what I see with your content on HR Shark. You're taking the things that HR professionals do every day that people see HR professionals do. And you are just, you're bringing it to life by showing the truth in that comedy. And that's a big piece of comedy is, is the truth and the specificity. And I could go on and on about this topic cause I love it obviously so much, but it's really interesting because people latch onto that. Like when you say, Okay, this is something from my childhood, so I'm speaking for myself, I'm almost 40. So e a sketch, right?
Erin (10:40):
Like the word e a sketch brings me joy. I like thinked back to my playroom in my house in Georgia when I was in elementary school and I was, you know, playing with this e a sketch and the hours of joy it brought me and it just, it's a smile to my face. Literally. You could do anything with a co just a word choice, like something that brings up a memory and it's, that is storytelling and that's what takes people on the journey with you. So you're guiding them through HR in a way that is bringing them on an pathetic route, but also using storytelling and humor to do that, which I find so fascinating and I love, and clearly it's, it's what I've built a foundation on. This is the house that built us. So let me ask you this. So what led you to HR in general? How did you get into this line of work?
Clark (11:35):
Yeah, so originally in undergrad, I didn't really even know what HR was. I went to, went to business school and I was a finance major at the time and didn't, I just, you had to take all these core business classes and HR was the one you had to take kind of what that during your first years in school. And I had a professor he was a former executive at a, at a large organization in Columbus. And it was like, I really just resonated with him. I went to his office hours and he was like, Hey, you can take your, your, your data background and your finance background and, and spin that into hr. Being able to influence organizations and build stronger relationships is a really key piece on, on a strong foundation of an organization. And so I was like, okay, I can use my data skills that'll help me differentiate myself for, there's a lot of people in hr, like, like are scared of numbers and run from it. So I was like, I can take that strength. Plus I like to being able to influence and work with different types of people every single day and really kind of solve the problems within the organization. And so that ever since that, like those office hours with my old professor back in the day, ever since then I've been in HR for seven and a half years and I've loved it every minute, so, oh, not turning back.
Erin (12:37):
I love that. And also, you know, it's so fascinating how people come to this line of work. I was in recruiting prior to being in starting improve it. And I was, I never thought, like, I didn't go to school for recruiting. You can't go to school for human resources, but I never thought this would be the line of work that I went into. But it really is, you're problem solving, you're helping people, you're constantly, you're constantly learning too. There's no, once I do this, this job is complete. You're constantly problem solving, helping people solve their problems. And I think it's awesome that you found a career you love, but then you've also combined that with a passion for this content creation. And what I really want people to hear today improve it pees is Clark is taking his job, which a lot of HR leaders, talent development leaders, and you know, any type of l and d talent dev community, listen to this show.
Erin (13:38):
We also have leaders and business owners and all types of people who manage people. But what I really want you to take away is that you have made it fun. And I think when you can measure the amount of success that you have by the amount of fun that you have every single day, then it doesn't feel like work. It's a lifestyle, it's a choice. And when you have a day off, it's not a, it is not because you need a vacation from your job, it's to recharge your brain. It's because you need that space to go back and create and do it all over again. So I just love that you've taken what you've done. I hope others are inspired by that. And I wanted to use dear fun to have some fun and highlight some of the top challenges that a lot of HR leaders are facing and some of the trends that you're seeing in the workplace with a little game. I like to call Yay or Na Clark, are you ready?
Clark (14:32):
I'm ready. Let's do it.
Erin (14:34):
Okay, here's what's gonna happen. I'm gonna say some trends that you're seeing in the HR workplace and I want you to say, yay, if you think it's here to stay, or nay if you think it's out the door and we've moved on, right?
Clark (14:47):
All
Erin (14:47):
Right, here we go. Here we go. All right, so great resignation.
Clark (14:51):
It's a two part answer on this one. So it's here to say yay. Short term. So I mean, there's been studies out there from McKinsey and Company that 40% of current employees are looking to leave in the next three to six months. So that is like huge. It's still gonna go on. But then long term, I think the recession is gonna start to pull that back. I mean the Fed is putting, is putting a bunch of interest, rates are going higher and higher by the day. And so they're doing that cause they want the, the labor markets to cool off and to slow down. And so I think over the next, I would say nine to 12 months we're gonna cease a pullback in their great resignation. So two part enter, yay. And then nay.
Erin (15:27):
I love it. All right. Mandatory in office days, Yay or nay.
Clark (15:33):
Nay. I think it in, in part of the great, the great war of talent you have to give your employees autonomy. It might be right now to get, get them to the office, but long term your employees are gonna, are gonna kind of push back on that. And I think you have to give them the autonomy to do and work where they wanna work. So nay,
Erin (15:48):
Nay, okay, quiet, quitting, Yay or nay.
Clark (15:52):
Quiet quitting. I would say yay. So quiet quitting. I someone just put this nice trendy name to it. It's been around for a long time and it's gonna continue to be around. It's just people that are not excited about their jobs. And so until people and so employers can give employees what they want to continue to grow and develop and be challenged, it's gonna stick around for a very long time.
Erin (16:12):
Totally. Totally. Okay. Virtual happy hours. Yay or nay.
Clark (16:17):
Nay. No, never a huge fan of virtual happy hour. I mean, maybe this might be cool once when the pandemic first started, but no, I think we gotta think, we gotta phase those out. Nay.
Erin (16:25):
Okay. Saying you are on mute. Yay or nay.
Clark (16:30):
Yeah, it's definitely here. I mean, human air is is real. It just happens. People are get super passionate and forget to hit the, take themselves off mute. So I think it's here to stay. Yay.
Erin (16:40):
Okay. And wearing real pants to work. Yay or nay.
Clark (16:45):
Nay. I think that nowadays it's, it was super relaxed. People back in the day used to wear suits to work every day. Now you never see a suit at work. So I'm totally believe that. I think it's gonna be more casual, more comfortable. So nay,
Erin (16:57):
Nay. Okay, love it. Good job. Give your, give yourself a round of applause Clark. I'm clapping everyone. Clap where you're at. Stop driving. Take your hands off the wheel. No <laugh>, honestly, I love this. That was so fun. But let me ask you this. Which one of those topics made you cring the most and why?
Clark (17:15):
Cringe. So virtual happy hour. I think this is a, it was a trend that will lasted way too long. It was like Zoom fatigue was real. I remember just being on so many Zoom calls and then it's like, okay, happy hour. Like, and you have to feel obligated to join cuz you don't be like that negative Nancy that doesn't joined the team. Virtual happy hour. So that one makes me cringe to this day. So please stop doing those.
Erin (17:37):
Oh my God, I'm with you. I agree with you so hard. And it was like, I feel like people were coming outta the woodwork. Like you're like, oh my God, we can talk now. And friends from high school who I haven't talked to and seven, you know what, I shouldn't say say that. Cause I actually enjoyed talking to these people, but it became so mundane and in the fact that you couldn't go anywhere and leave your house just added to it. But now I hear you. I've tried, my team is remote and we've tried to do them over. We're like, no, we don't even wanna do these. It just doesn't even feel normal to this day. So agree with you. Which one of those topics do you think is getting the biggest moment right now?
Clark (18:13):
Absolutely. The great resignation. I think it's, it's still a lot of like, we're in that tipping point right now and what's, what's going on? There's a lot of, there's a lot of layoffs going on in the market. A lot of people are anxious and what's to come. And so it's gonna slow down. There's still, like the jobs report came back recently. There's still a ton of open jobs and I don't want people to fill them. So it's kind of that in between. Is it, which way is it gonna go? How long is it gonna take? No one really knows. But I think the Great resignation is still very top of mind to many people right
Erin (18:37):
Now. Totally. And then there's like the spinoffs of it, The great regret, the great what else? I don't know, That's one that sticks out the most in my mind. But this one has been a topic for the past year. I mean, I was talking about that a year ago on this show, so I hear you on that.
Erin (18:54):
Overachiever, perfectionist, career minded focused did those words resonate with you? It's Erin, you're recovering perfectionist turn, feel flu here. And I wanna give a shout out to all my type A leaders out there who are failing it left and right and this quote unquote new normal too. Those words are gross, but they are unfortunately true. So that's why myself and team have decided to celebrate F Words at work. That's right. We at Improve It are throwing a F word party that's f as in Frank, and we can bring that party to you and your team. Now our newest virtual offering f-word at work is a virtual keynote delivered by yours. Truly. You need a way to engage 50 plus or even hundreds of your team members via Zoom. Our one hour F Words at Work Keynote will do just that. Now, unlike our workshops where we are in and out of breakout rooms, this keynote is a way to appeal to the masses. I don't want you to worry because it is still Uber interactive and the F words may not be what you think. So with the notion that failure plus the frequency of failure equals the fundamentals of success, I'll take you and all of the other recovering perfectionists of your organization on a virtual journey filled with Laugh Learning. And Lev reach out to us at Learn to Improve it.com on our contact desk page to learn more. And I cannot wait to drop some F bombs with you.
Erin (20:41):
Let me ask you this, knowing that you're in human resources, we have so many people who are in human resources who listen to this show. I've had so many wonderful conversations with people leaders, but I wanna hear your take on this. What do you think is the biggest misconception of human resources today as it stands today?
Clark (21:03):
Yeah, so I mean I get this a lot from a lot of trolls on my pages. Like HR is not your friend. And so I hear that if we had a dollar for every time someone said that in in HR people, we'd just laugh at it. But I think it's a huge misperception. So first of all, I have a lot of people that I work with that are good friends of mine that are not in hr, that are actually in the business that I'm supporting. And at the end of the day, like we, yes, we have to look out for the business and protect the business. But at the same time we look out what's best for the employee. So if there's something that is clearly wrong that's going on in the business, it is is a policy or whatever it may be, you have to stick up for the employee. Cause if you don't, they're gonna leave and people are not gonna, like, if you don't have the right people in the right seats in your organization, your company's gonna fail. I don't care how good your product is. And so that's the biggest misperception is HR is not your friend. The only protected company like that is total bogus. Like please delete that from your vocabulary. Like I absolutely have a lot of great friends that I work with every single day that are not in hr. So that's my, that's my biggest misperception.
Erin (22:02):
I love it. Let me ask you a, just a curious question. How do you handle the trolls? Do you get a, because I remember when we chatted last time, you said it was very positive, but there's always, you know, there's always Bob online, <laugh> or you know, Karen or whoever. So hold on. I have, I have a visitor coming into our episode right now. Big deal. It's making an appearance. Everyone that's my eight pound toy poodle. He's coming in. So you might hear scratching. Okay, so tell me, how do you handle them? What do you do?
Clark (22:33):
Yeah, so I actually spin it very positively. So when I start to get trolls, like the more people comment and engage with your content, it helps the algorithm and actually push your content out more. And so it's like, it's kind of poking in, in a nice friendly way and to keep the conversation going. But if it goes too far and it starts getting super negative, then it's like, all right, I don't have time for this. And they, they get the blocks. So, but hey, I, I appreciate people who have different perspectives, so I welcome that and to my content and, and two philosophies within HR and business in general. But at the end of the day, like we're all here just trying to have fun and if you take it too far, you're gonna get blocked.
Erin (23:10):
I love it. Everybody has their own philosophy on it. I was curious on that. Take hot Take Hot take. Okay. So let me ask you this. Who is your favorite content creator other than yourself when it comes to workplace humor besides a deal? Yeah.
Clark (23:27):
Yeah. So Corporate Dumpster Fire, he goes by Sam. He does a lot of work from home content. He's hilarious. Definitely check him out, shout out to him. I've done a collaboration with him before. He's literally everything, every single piece of content he creates is, is hilarious. So shout out to corporate Dumpster Fire,
Erin (23:43):
Corporate Dumpster, Dumpster Fire. Okay, I gotta check that out. You check it out too and prove it. Petes. And then what is your take on humor at work? So you have this awesome content, you have this awesome page. Do you bring that humor to work or, or what do you think about humor in the workplace?
Clark (24:05):
Yeah, I think human in the workplace you definitely have to know your audience. So it really depends on like, if you're just cracking jokes and, and you don't know who you're talking to, that that might be an issue. And so if you have, you have your comfortable small circle it, it's totally okay. Definitely in hr, like we have to vent to each other anyway. But it's, it's definitely knowing the people that you're around. So there's definitely a place just be smart. Like don't take it too far at the end of the day. Like your coworkers or your coworkers, they're not your, your friends and family. So you definitely need to draw a line in terms of your, your personal life and in terms of work. So there is a place to just be smart about
Erin (24:37):
It. Yeah. And then what do you think about HR now and how it's viewed in the workplace versus before the pandemic? Do you think there's a shift?
Clark (24:46):
Absolutely. Yeah, totally, totally think there's a huge shift. So I mean, going through the, the great resignation like we just talked about and, and Covid and, and just everything going on in this crazy world with the, the war and everything there is so like people are going through a lot and HR runs to the front of all of that. And so having a good strategic leader in hr, it's so important to every single business and, and like it's even more important the bigger it gets, like the bigger, the more moving parts there are within an organization. So absolutely, I think be having a good trusted HR partner is so, so important. And sometimes people don't understand that until they have a good HR person in place, somehow how much value they bring to developing their talent within the organization and really retaining that, that talent is so important. So sometimes people don't understand what they're missing either.
Erin (25:30):
Totally. I agree with that wholeheartedly. It makes all the difference when you can see the work of one person and how people follow and how people treat that person and how they treat other people and you're like, Wow, oh, that's how that's supposed to be. It makes a huge difference. So I agree with that and I really think HR has a, we were, I was talking HR Tracy about that, which is how we know each other. HR has really had a moment and it should have always had a moment, but I hope it continues to have a moment because you are the heartbeat of organizations. You really do have the, the pulse on every single thing that the organization does, who is in the organization, how you handle all of the things that are affecting work today. Because outside work things are really this, in my opinion, has been the most awakened time in my career.
Erin (26:25):
I've been in, you know, I've been out of college almost 20 some years and it's like, for me right now, the fact that the things that happen in our world actually come into the workplace and we can talk about it and it is expected that we talk about it is so refreshing versus coming to work and pretending like we're robots. So I think HR has such a, a wonderful gift in that it has the heartbeat of the organization on top, top of mind and it's really continuing to shine and I really hope that it continues as we go through these next few years.
Clark (27:00):
Yeah, totally agree in the aspect of bringing your true self to work as well and like creating that culture starts with HR and being in that culture, even yourself, you can talk about the different things going on in the world that is so important cuz it, you can, you can hire the best and greatest talent within, within your organization, but if you can't keep them at the end of the day, if they can't be their real selves, they're gonna leave. And so to your point, that is such an important aspect of hr.
Erin (27:20):
Hi. Great. I, Okay, let me ask you, let me ask you one very important question. So we say on this show, Improve It, that's obviously the name of the show and the name of our company, but that it is that thing that you bring to the world, it's your purpose, your mission. So what is HR Sharks Clarks HR Shark Clarks it,
Clark (27:46):
My, it is, I think I mentioned this earlier, is don't take yourself too serious. Like no matter how stressful your job is, a lot of people say working in HR can be stressful, but it's finding that good laugh. At the end of the day, your job is not that serious. It's, it's, it's gonna be there when you get back from vacation. Take time to relax, take time to recharge. And it's all about just having a good laugh and don't take yourself so serious. So that is my it, that's what I hope I do with my content is hopefully you learn something at the same time. Have a good
Erin (28:12):
Laugh. Yes. Entertainment, I'm here for it. Let me ask you this question. How do you do that on your own work days? Besides doing content, what do you do to have a laugh and give yourself moments of joy?
Clark (28:26):
Yeah, I would say having that close knit, like your, your work besties, like pulling up with them and chatting about whatever's going on in, in the world, venting about your stuff at work. It's like finding things that you can just laugh about and just like make jokes about like, oh, you're not gonna believe what this person did, you're not gonna believe like obviously close knit, like circle like that you don't wanna share like confidentially, but find those people that you can have at work that you can kind of vent to makes life so much better having that person.
Erin (28:52):
Totally. Okay, final question. This is our fail. Yeah. Lightning round. Okay. So we say it in improv, there are no mistakes, only gifts. So I'm gonna ask you a series of questions and I want you to respond with only a one word answer. And if you answer with more than one word, I'm gonna give you a big fail. Yeah. Okay. So are you ready for this Clark? Ready for the fail? Yeah. Lightning route. Okay, here we go. One word to describe your early career
Clark (29:28):
Volatility.
Erin (29:30):
Ah, one word to describe where you are now in your career.
Clark (29:35):
One word is where I am now. Growing.
Erin (29:39):
Growing, Okay. One word to describe your content creation style.
Clark (29:43):
Humor.
Erin (29:45):
One word to describe your work from home. Fashion style.
Clark (29:48):
Polished.
Erin (29:50):
One word to describe this interview.
Clark (29:53):
Fun.
Erin (29:54):
Yes. You nailed it. There was a time where you said maybe a couple words before it, but I gave it to you. Yeah,
Clark (30:00):
Yeah. So
Erin (30:01):
Don't worry. All right. So tell the, tell the improvement pees where they can find you if they wanna connect and anything that they could find your ebook, all the things.
Clark (30:10):
Yeah. So TikTok and Instagram at HR Shark underscore My dms are open on Instagram. Please reach out with any career questions if you just wanna chat. Hr, I'm definitely open to chat. And ebook is in the link in my bio as well. So go check it out.
Erin (30:24):
I love it. All right. Well Clark, thank you for bringing humor to HR and the innerwebs and now to the Improve It podcast airwaves. The world needs more of you and so we're looking forward to continue to laugh with you and helping you reach more people with what we love. Humor. Thanks Clark.
Clark (30:44):
Thanks Erin. Really appreciate it
Erin (30:54):
And improve it peeps. So fun. Oh my gosh, that was awesome. Clark is great. And again, no failures go unturned here. Fail. Yeah, as you know, we had to redo this because we had some technology fails the first time. Y'all know I keep it a hundred on this show. So that was my second time talking to Clark and it was absolutely just as fun as the first actually more fun cause we didn't have technology issues. So I had a blast. I hope that you did too. And here's what I want you to do. I love to give you a little bit of homework. Here it is. Take what you heard today and I want you to think about the fun in your life. Is your job fun? Is your after job time fun? How can you bring more fun, more humor to your workday? I want you to start measuring the amount of success you have by the amount of fun that you have every single day.
Erin (31:56):
For the next week, take out a sheet of paper, rate yourself on a one to 10 scale. One is today was boring, 10 is today was awesome. And ask yourself, how much fun am I having? See the shifts in your energy. See the shifts in how you show up, Not only for yourself, but for your team and for your family, and for your friends. And let us know how it goes. I'm so proud of you. Improve It peeps. I'm so just thrilled with the growth that you're putting into your life, Thrilled with the fun that you're going to bring to it. And I'm just excited to sit here with you next week. As you know, I want you to keep failing, Keep improving because the world needs that very special it that only you can bring. I'll see you next week. Hey friend, did you enjoy today's show? If so, head on over to iTunes to rate and subscribe. So you never miss an episode. Now, did I mention that when you leave a five star review of the Improvement podcast, an actual team of humans does a happy dance? Mm-Hmm. <affirmative>. That's right. So leave a review for us on iTunes, screenshot it and send me an email at info learn to improve it.com. I'll send you a personalized video back as a thank you. Thanks so much for listening. Improve It Peeps. I'll see you next Wednesday.