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Hiii,

It may be a shorter week for most of us (thx Labor Day), but of course, the drama never takes a holiday, so the show must go on!

Like, can you imagine if HR had a reality show? There would be plot lines for an ETERNITY.

On the note of drama... have a confession you want to submit??? Enter the confession booth and tell us your juiciest HR tea!!! It's time to get it off your chest.

Now onto this week, we’ve got the Nestlé CEO getting ousted for breaking his own code of conduct, comp strategies that feel more like fire drills than frameworks, and candidates ghosting broken application processes. Basically, the hits keep coming. 💥

Oh, and I’ll be in NYC teaming up with Maven Clinic for a dinner at Gramercy Tavern on Sept 30th! It’ll be a small table, good food, and convos equally as tactical as they are unhinged. If that sounds like your scene, RSVP and come through!

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🗞️ Here’s the Tea:

😬 Nestlé CEO fired after romantic relationship with subordinate exposed

The TL;DR: Nestlé just fired CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation confirmed he had an undisclosed relationship with a subordinate, breaching the company’s code of conduct. The board acted swiftly, denied him an exit package, and named Philipp Navratil as successor.

It’s yet another reminder that unchecked power + secrecy = chaos, especially at the top.

My POV: The underlying theme of this story is about power dynamics.

When leaders cross boundaries, the ripple effects aren’t just legal…they tank trust, culture, and investor confidence.

Nestlé’s board did what they had to, but dismissals alone don’t fix systemic issues, y’know!

Until companies get serious about accountability, HR will keep cleaning up these same fires. 🤷‍♀️

🎙️ Mic Drop Moment:

“Pay secrecy only serves the employer. The less employees know, the more power companies hold.”

On the mic this week: Matt McFarland is a People Ops leader turned startup compensation specialist who helps scaling companies build pay practices that are clear, fair, and competitive. He’s worked across tech and high-growth environments and now focuses on compensation frameworks, market data, and manager enablement.

Pin this:

Clarity beats vibes: write down your comp philosophy (how you pay, which data you use, when and how raises happen) and publish it.
Transparency ≠ forcing people to share salaries. Publish ranges and leveling criteria internally so employees can see which roles are worth pursuing.
Don’t let counteroffers undermine your comp strategy. Fix systemic pay issues instead of rewarding the squeaky wheel.
Managers aren’t ATMs: their job is to diagnose the ask (market vs. performance vs. leveling), partner with HR, and solve for the team impact.

My H*ly Sh*t Moment: Realizing a simple, written comp philosophy could save teams from spending 50% of their week on pay fires is proof that clarity beats cash when it comes to trust!

▶️ Press Play

📊 Data Is My Love Language:

Stat: Nearly 6 in 10 candidates have quit an application before finishing

My spiral: That stat screams what HR has known forever, which is that some hiring processes are broken, not the talent pool.

If applications feel impossible, then guess what? People are gonna bounce!

And make no mistake…ghosting candidates only makes it worse.

A clunky candidate experience isn’t just bad PR, it’s actively shrinking your pipeline! 📣

🛠️ In Your Toolkit

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Most new hires are handed a laptop, an email login, and a “good luck.” 🥲

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It’s a simple, editable roadmap that gives your people clarity, structure, and confidence instead of chaos.

Download the free 30/60/90 Day Plan and give your new hires a real shot at success!

🗣️ UNMUTE YOURSELF

We’re constantly juggling the fires nobody else wants to touch, and half the time, it seems like we’re doing things just because “that’s how it’s always been done,” not because it makes sense.

Anybody who knows me knows I need the “why” behind a task to be at peace with it!

Here’s the question I want you to sit with:

“What part of your job drains you…but you keep doing it anyway?”

🛠️ TRY THIS TOMORROW:

Sometimes the fastest way to build trust with leadership is by asking the uncomfortable question they’ve been sidestepping, not just by handing them another dashboard or policy doc.

Tomorrow, try this:

“Ask a leader, ‘What’s one people problem you’re avoiding?’ Then roll up your sleeves and help unpack it.”

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