Honest HR

Produced by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Honest HR lives up to its name by tackling the messy, uncomfortable side of the profession that most corporate communications carefully avoid. Hosts Nicole Belyna and Monique Akanbi bring their SHRM-SCP and SHRM-CP credentials, respectively, but the tone stays conversational rather than academic. Since 2018, the show has put out 160 episodes covering everything from navigating workplace romances and their legal risks to managing the sandwich generation of employees caring for both aging parents and young children. Episodes run 25 to 35 minutes on a biweekly schedule, and many qualify for 0.5 professional development credits toward SHRM certification recertification. Recent topics include AI coaching for employee development, freelance workforce integration, and how political expression plays out in corporate settings. With a 4.4 rating from 202 reviews, the show pulls from real-world HR scenarios and listener questions, which keeps it grounded in the kinds of decisions HR professionals actually face on a Tuesday afternoon rather than in some theoretical framework.