With over eighteen years of executive coaching, speaking, research, and professional experience, Kirk’s perspective is simple and unpretentious and his suggestions are applicable and undiluted. Kirk understands that your work life is more than a commute and a paycheck. You will spend most of your conscious week at work, thinking about work, or driving to work. Therefore Kirk believes in seeing your work life as your life’s work (outside of your home and family). With that in mind, how can you make your life’s work more meaningful, fulfilling, and rewarding?

IT Professionals have awarded Kirk with “The Speaker of Highest Merit Award” and organizations tweet him as the “People Whisperer” for his exceptional way of connecting with people individually and collectively wherever he goes. Kirk is known for his ability to share personal life stories, converse with his audience, and offer coaching that builds trust and inspires action.

Kirk is currently the Chief Morale Officer for companies and organizations around the globe. He offers coaching, keynote addresses, and workshops for companies of all services and sizes. Kirk is a past leader of the National Speakers Association, a master team builder, and a professional storyteller. He has been a part of 7 start ups, 4 of which were widely successful. One of these startups created over 1,000 jobs for aspiring IT professionals.

One hundred percent of Kirk’s consulting and speaking engagements have come from word-of-mouth-referrals from delighted clients and customers. In 2014 Kirk was invited to give over 50 presentations on leadership in other countries, visiting every continent. He continues to work with the best and brightest teams from dude ranches to medical institutions such as MAYO and John Hopkins to help them on their journey of building a more engaged and positive culture.

Kirk’s book “The Dog Poop Initiative” has sold over 80,000 copies. It has been translated into German, Spanish, and Hebrew. While this book is written for all ages and can be found in many public school libraries, the #1 buyer of the book is Boeing Aircraft who use it for their Six Sigma Lean program. Managers often use this book for their morning huddles or weekly kick-off meetings. Kirk’s second book “The Cookie Thief” is another metaphorical story that teaches a powerful lesson. Kirk’s popular T4D (Thought for the Day) blog reaches thousands of individuals on a weekly basis. He is also featured in the book “Speaking on Success” with other famous authors such as Stephen Covey.

Some of Kirk’s successes include: DELTA, Yum!, General Mills, America Express, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Bank of America, Enfamil, ChemDry, Johns Hopkins, Emory University, Anthem, BlueCross, Cargill, Discover Network, Carestream Dental, ALPAC, CUNA, Panasonic, Altra, Pink Elephant, HDI, and AT&T to name a few.

Prior to Kirk’s career as a CMO and professional speaker, he served in the 19th Special Forces and as a US Army Ranger. Kirk resides in Arizona with his wife and six children.

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HDI Local Chapters is an all volunteer not-for-profit that brings Technical Support professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators and each other --- https://www.hdilocalchapters.org

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Bytes and Banter Podcast Team

Creative Producer/Host: Rocky McGuire - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockymcguire/

Executive Producer: Terri Oropeza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toropeza/

Associate Producer: Collen Rush - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colleen-rush-3603241/

Technical Producer: Dustin Canter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustincanter/

Podcast Operating System: https://www.PodTechs.com

Post-Production: https://www.PodTechs.com

Let’s discuss the challenges organizations face when contemplating hiring full-time process engineers, the attractiveness of larger paychecks, the trend towards hybrid work environments, and strategies to invest in and retain talent.

Special guest Michelle Perella provides insights from Robert Half's "Demand for Skill and Talent Report," a valuable resource for both job seekers and hiring managers in the technology sector. Michelle, serving as the branch director for the technology practice in Pittsburgh, shares that this biannual report offers an overview of technology labor market and employment trends across the United States, including data that aids in hiring decisions. The report especially focuses on roles in cybersecurity, AI, machine learning, automation, cloud initiatives, and technology modernization, highlighting a significant demand for leadership in these areas to drive digital strategy and modernization efforts.

The episode touches upon the surprising number of open roles in specific technology sectors and discusses how companies' focus on various technological initiatives drives the demand for skilled talent. The need for leadership to implement digital strategies and modernize technology infrastructure is identified as a key factor behind the creation of executive and leadership roles within organizations.

Whether you need to recruit technology professionals for your team or you want to find a job in tech, Robert Half’s Salary Guide helps you understand what to expect as you navigate the hiring market.

The guide explores the jobs in greatest demand in technology, what firms are doing to attract and keep talent, and how much professionals can earn in 2024.

Learn more about the data and insights in the Salary Guide and how to use them in this blog post from Robert Half --- https://www.roberthalf.com/us/en/insights/research/how-robert-halfs-salary-guide-helps-you-to-be-right-on-the-money

Jessica Green is a Practice Director with Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm. She oversees the technology contract practice group within the Twin Cities market. Jessica was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN and recently celebrated her 13-year anniversary with Robert Half. She proudly lives there today with her husband, two kids, and two bulldogs. Throughout her career at Robert Half, she has worn many hats, including business development, sales leadership, and training. She prides herself on being an industry expert when it comes to staffing, hiring, and consulting in the technology space. Jessica co-founded and co-chairs Robert Half’s Minnesota-based community involvement committee where she organizes volunteer opportunities for internal employees to give back regularly. In addition, she co-founded Robert Half’s “Be the Change” employee networking group to hold open conversations about social justice, equality, and allyship at work and in our communities. She has served on the board for HDI Minnesota over the last 12 years, helping to raise money for the chapter, along with planning and hosting local events. Jessica is passionate about networking, community involvement, and relationship building, especially amongst the ever-changing multi-generational workforce.

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HDI Local Chapters is an all volunteer not-for-profit that brings Technical Support professionals together to connect, share and discuss common challenges, and learn from industry innovators and each other --- https://www.hdilocalchapters.org

----------------------------------------------------

Bytes and Banter Podcast Team

Creative Producer/Host: Rocky McGuire - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rockymcguire/

Marketing Coordinator: Terri Oropeza - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toropeza/

Technical Producer: Dustin Canter - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustincanter/

Podcast Operating System: https://www.PodTechs.com

Post-Production: Rae-Ann C.

#hdilocalchapters