We live in a world where everybody hates HR.

If they don’t hate human resources, they don’t give it much time. It’s a shame because HR is the one department in any company that could, without much effort, positively change people’s lives for the better. People should love human resources, and, if their department stinks, they should get promoted — or get a job in HR — to make it better.

But HR doesn’t change if we stand around waiting for people to stop complaining. It changes when we raise our hands and commit to making work better while simultaneously making companies profitable.

The two can go hand-in-hand.

That’s why I’ve been honored to partner with Ultimate Software over the past three months to sponsor my podcast called Let’s Fix Work. We hoped you would sign up for their free HR workshops around America — where you can earn HRCI, SHRM and APA credits — and learn new ways to fix work.

Turns out, y’all signed up in record numbers. You believe in the future of human resources, and you also believe in professional development and continuous learning.

As recently reported in Harvard Business Review, “Employees experienced fewer negative emotions on days when they engaged in more learning activities at work compared to other days.”

Even if your company has an awful culture and doesn’t spend money on your professional development, your “employee experience” is yours. Ultimate Software continues to offer its free and fantastic HR workshops all across America. You should sign up for a workshop if one is in your area, and take advantage of the unfettered opportunity to learn and grow.

Please visit ultimatesoftware.com/LFW and tell them Laurie sent you when you attend one of those fantastic live events!