Nichole Upshaw
Chief Human Resource Officer
Cirkul
Episode 138
Unlock True Engagement: The Unsolved Key to HR Success is Transparent Two-Way Communication
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleJune 19, 2025 · 16:20
Thesis
“Effective HR leadership is built on a deep understanding of the business and its people, with transparent, two-way communication being the foundational, yet often unsolved, key to driving employee connection, engagement, and productivity, especially amidst rapid change.”
Show notes
Navigating Career Transitions and Effective HR Strategies with Nichole Upshaw. In this episode of the Built by People Podcast, the host welcomes Nichole, who shares her dynamic career journey from an entry-level recruiting role at Racetrac Petroleum to leading HR and retail operations at a cannabis startup, and now her role at Cirkul.
Nichole discusses the challenges and learnings from managing through the COVID-19 crisis, emphasizing the importance of communication and transparency within an organization.
She elaborates on innovative HR strategies, such as the Spark employee experience program and Cirkul Immersion Program, focusing on inclusivity and effective onboarding.
Nichole also touches on the essential shift in her leadership approach when moving from a large corporation to a startup environment, underscoring the importance of understanding the business and its people.
She concludes with insights on maintaining effective communication to drive engagement and productivity.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
00:48 Nichole's Career Journey
04:21 Challenges in Creating a Supportive Work Environment
07:02 Implementing HR Strategies in Startups
09:39 Transitioning from Large to Small Companies
11:51 Innovative Practices for Employee Engagement
14:46 Parting Advice for HR Leaders
16:13 Conclusion and Farewell
Previ is a private pricing network that is free for companies to launch and maintain. It saves employees $2,200/year on essential services like their cell phone and auto insurance bill. Visit here to learn more.
What you'll take away
- 1Prioritize deep understanding of the business operations and the unique needs of its people before implementing HR strategies.
- 2Master two-way, consistent, and transparent communication as the fundamental driver for employee connection, engagement, and buy-in, rather than waiting for a crisis.
- 3Develop the most impactful employee solutions by inclusively involving the very people they are designed to serve, fostering ownership and relevance.
- 4In fast-paced environments, discard rigid 'playbooks' and instead rapidly learn the current context to create and continuously iterate on tailored solutions.
- 5Focus on free, foundational communication methods (e.g., stay surveys, one-on-ones, open door policies) as genuinely innovative tools for engagement, transcending complex or novel ideas.
What most organizations get wrong
- •I think the most innovative thing we can all do is not creative or innovative at all, but it is something that we are still not all doing, and that is solving the communication gap.
- •Innately, humans are shitty at listening. We're just not good listeners. And if you're not a good listener, you're not a good communicator, period.
In Nichole's words
“So at 23 years old, I had the opportunity to be a part of a company that was going through a complete and total transformation. So that was such a unique experience and scaling at the same time.”
Highlights the early, foundational experience that shaped her approach to HR in dynamic environments.
“I was on a plane every single week, either in a retail dispensary or in a manufacturing plant working right alongside of our employees. So they knew that we were not asking them to do anything that, that we weren't doing.”
Emphasizes the importance of leading by example and showing solidarity with the hourly workforce during a crisis.
“You're always gonna come up with a better solution if the people that you're creating the solution for is involved. I know it's mind-blowing.”
A concise, slightly sarcastic highlight of a fundamental principle for effective employee programs.
“It is so much more about learning what has been done, what is going on, so you can create the best solutions you can create faster and then just like constantly iterate them.”
Captures her adaptable, iterative approach to HR strategy in fast-paced startup environments.
“I don't think any of us could say that we've seen a Glassdoor review or Indeed review or performance review that said, that hurt, that just way too much communication. I just understand way too much about what's going on.”
A memorable and relatable way to underscore the universal need for better communication.
“It is all— it all cannot be done without starting with the foundations of not being the most HR expert in the world, but truly intimately understanding the business and the people.”
Her ultimate parting advice, summarizing her philosophy on impactful HR leadership.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Lack of clear, consistent, and two-way communication leading to disengaged employees and resistance to change.
- •Difficulty in quickly integrating and connecting new hires to a fast-paced, rapidly scaling company's mission and culture.
- •Maintaining morale, providing critical information, and ensuring safety for hourly, frontline employees during crises with limited resources.
- •Developing and implementing effective HR strategies in resource-constrained startup environments.
- •Leaders struggling to adapt established HR 'playbook' strategies from large corporations to the agile and unique needs of startup companies.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
After college, you joined convenience store chain Racetrack Petroleum
Cannabis Entrepreneur's Career Journey
Jushi faced a challenge in creating a supportive work environment for hourly workforce
Employee Experience: The Need for Communication
Nicole, can you share a case study of how you successfully implemented a new HR strategy
How Juicy Fitness implemented a new HR Strategy
Nicole says transitioning from large company to small company influenced her leadership style
Leadership Lessons from Starting a Startup
Communication is still the biggest problem in the workplace, Nicole says
Solving the Communication Gap
Nicole says HR leaders are looking for ways to make an impact
Nicole On Making an Impact in HR
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
Expand transcript (0 words)
Transcript is not available yet.