Humans vs Resources with Laurie Shakur, VP, Head of HR at Rakuten USA & B2B Rakuten

Employees are so much more than just employees.

Laurie Shakur, VP, Head of HR at Rakuten USA, has 30 years of experience in human resources and believes leaders have to see those on their teams as whole people if they want to create more effective workplaces.

In this episode, Laurie talks about the poor examples of leadership she’s witnessed, including a shocking lack of compassion when she needed it the most. The silver lining is Laurie learned from those experiences and now champions creating psychologically safe workplaces. Listen to learn more about developing team members and how that tactic can be just as enticing as other forms of compensation.


Show Notes

Transcript of the episode

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • Leaders have to recognize their employees as whole people, not just resources.

  • Companies have a responsibility to develop employees’ strengths and capabilities to make them magnificent.

  • Leaders must create an environment of belonging and happiness by introducing the necessary processes and support systems.

Things to listen for:

[01:57] Learning through gaps in leadership
[07:31] How HR lost its human aspect
[09:48] Reflecting on what’s working in your life
[13:38] How job clarity helps with growth frameworks
[16:29] An organization’s responsibility to develop people
[22:49] Compassion is a superpower
[31:04] The three lenses of compassion
[35:17] Thinking differently, feeling differently, and doing differently
[37:53] Tim’s Take