S12 E2: Courage Over Compliance: A Conversation We Should've Had Already with Keisha Toussaint

If you've been in HR long enough, you know this feeling. You see something wrong, you know it's wrong, and then you look around and realize the system you work inside of wasn't actually built to let you fix it. Today I'm talking to Keisha Toussaint, founder of BCC'd HR and someone who did what most of us only think about doing: she removed the corporate muzzle entirely. We're getting into the moment that changed how she saw this job forever, what happens when you advocate for the right thing and leadership responds with escalation instead of accountability, and why courage isn't optional in HR, even when the org makes it feel that way.  Another day of tough convos, but important convos nonetheless! 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:20 - Something Keisha Believed About Work Early On and Had to Unlearn 00:06:10 - A Difficult Conversation Keisha Had at Work 00:11:17 - How Keisha Thought HR Operated Vs How it Actually Does 00:18:43 - When the Energy in the Room Shifts 00:22:19 - Understanding What HR Roles Actually Require From You 00:28:29 - Moments That Require Courage 00:37:44 - How Orgs Respond to Outspoken Employees, Especially Employees of Color 00:44:57 - Advice For Folks Dealing with Difficult Convos at Work --- The Predictive Index behavioral assessment reveals how people work, think, and thrive—so teams can understand each other better and perform at their best. Because when you truly understand your people, work just works. Learn more: ⁠trypi.com/ihateithere⁠ --- 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.   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out I Hate It Here on YouTube for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Keisha LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keishatoussaint/ Follow Hebba YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef