Hello Community,

Many of the people we see at work every day are struggling with huge wounds: a devastating prognosis, a divorce, an aggressive medical treatment, or domestic violence, to name a few. And underneath it all, the exhausting work of trying to work as if everything was “normal”.

For all these reasons, we dedicate today’s edition to trauma-informed HR and silent suffering in the workplace.

Although organizations are not responsible for healing people, they should be accountable for creating conditions that prevent things from worsening. And for cultivating a culture in which people feel safe enough to heal themselves.

🗞️ In case you missed it:  Are you planning to attend the AI Experience Summit (June 17-19 | Virtual and Free)? Register now and access a FREE 2-hour Bootcamp on How to Create Your HR Operating System with AI (April 28, 8:00–10:00 AM PT), led by Enrique Rubio himself! ➡️ Register here

🌿 Let’s dive into understanding why human pain is the hardest and most important work HR does.

HR INSIGHTS

In our latest LinkedIn Newsletter post, we explored how Trauma-informed HR is a fundamental shift in how an organization understands, designs, and delivers every single people practice, from how terminations are handled to what a manager says (or doesn't) when an employee goes quiet. It means recognizing how trauma affects people’s behavior and creating conditions for safety, choice, and trust.

SAMHSA uses a framework to explain the core principles of trauma-informed care, which we have adapted it here to the language of people practices, organizational culture, and everyday leadership.

1. Safety First, Always: Creating environments where employees feel physically and emotionally safe, protected from harm, and free from fear. This means zero tolerance for behaviors that intimidate, humiliate, or destabilize, and also recognizing that for some employees, certain management behaviors (triangulation, public blame, guilt-tripping, unpredictability) can be deeply retraumatizing.

2. Transparency Builds Trust: Making processes clear, consistent, and honest, especially when the news is hard. Uncertainty is one of the most powerful trauma triggers in organizational life. When people don't know what is happening and what’s next (think restructure, a leadership change, a performance process, AI roll-outs), their nervous systems fill the silence with fear.

3. Peer Support Matters: Building formal and informal networks where shared experience is valued, and people don't have to carry their pain alone. Peer support is one of the most powerful initiatives an organization can implement. Having a colleague who has been through something similar, a manager who says, "I've been there too," and a team culture where vulnerability is not punished can be life-changing. It also makes it easier to seek professional help when it’s accessible.

4. Power Is Shared: Involving employees in decisions that affect them, and giving people agency, especially in moments when they feel they have none. Trauma is an experience of powerlessness. Top-down decisions, opaque processes, and micromanagement exacerbate the sense of powerlessness. Trauma-informed HR adopts the habit of asking: What does this person need to stay, grow, and feel safe here?

5. Focusing on Strengths: Recognizing and building on people's strengths rather than monitoring their deficits, especially during their most vulnerable moments. When an employee is struggling, instead of opening a performance file, trauma-informed HR asks a different question: What is this person exceptional at, and how do we create more space for that right now? Focusing on people's strengths is a way to lighten the weight of normalcy when life hits hard, while building a sense of belonging through recognition.

6. Culture Honors the Whole Person: Recognizing that trauma is not experienced the same way across identities, histories, genders, and communities, and that HR’s practices must reflect that complexity. Most HR policies were designed for an idealized, unburdened, majority-culture employee. And that person doesn't exist. When reviewing any people practice, it’s good to ask ourselves: Who was this designed for, and who does it leave out?

🌿What happens when organizations see the human behind the work?

Research cited by CTIPP shows that organizations where employees trust leadership and feel cared for see:

These themes will be covered extensively at the Workplace Wellbeing and Mental Health Summit (May 5-7, 7:00 AM - 11:25 AM Pacific Time) — a three-day virtual event that will gather HR and business leaders from across the globe to discuss how organizations can build healthier workplaces that support mental health, and where people can perform sustainably and speak up safely.

This event is 100% free to attend, and it’s brought to you by our amazing sponsors and partners: Deep Care and Leading Pathways.

📜 All attendees who participate live or watch the post-event recordings may download a certificate of participation.

👑 Premium members of our community gain a Credly badge and HR Credits (13.5 SHRMs + 13.5 HRCIs + 13.5 IHRMs)

🌟 JOIN US! ➡️ Check out the agenda and register here

While you're building the case for change, build the skills to lead it.

Our Micro Certificate Programs are kicking off this week! You still have a few days to join:

All these programs are live, online, and you can earn SHRM, HRCI, and IHRIM credits, plus a Credly badge and a diploma. ➡️ Explore all learning programs

April 30, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM Pacific Time

This free, virtual, two-hour workshop led by Hacking HR’s founder, Enrique Rubio, answers all of that in practical, hands-on terms, built for HR professionals who want to move past the theory and start using these tools with confidence.

🌟 It is fully free and virtual. 👉 Register here

Now, a little good news closer to home…

The Hacking HR Houston Chapter officially kicked off, and what a launch it was! Chapter Leaders Robbynn Reinap and Sajal Javid brought together a room full of HR professionals hungry for a real community where people feel safe to share, vent, learn, and actually have fun. If you weren't there, you missed a vibe, but don't worry, there's a next time!

What made this kick-off stand out wasn't just the great food and venue (shoutout to sponsors Sofia Frommer from USI and Tony Ledesma at Nundini Chef's Table), but also the conversation in the room. Robbynn opened the floor for direct input from attendees. What did they want this community to be? The answer was clear and consistent: a safe space to connect, support each other, and grow together. Some attendees were even reuniting from the original Houston Hacking HR gatherings pre-COVID, which made the night feel even more special.

The feedback after the event was also very positive. Here's what attendees had to say:

Are you an HR professional in the Houston area? The community is just warming up. Join the Hacking HR Houston Chapter and be part of the next gathering. Your people are waiting!

Not in Houston? No problem! Hacking HR has chapters popping up everywhere. 👉 Find the one closest to you and plug in

And if there isn't one near you yet... maybe you're the one to start it.

👉 Learn how to become a Chapter Leader and bring this community to your city.

🌐 More ways to learn, connect, and grow — check out the upcoming events!

This year, the third edition of the AI Experience Summit will be LIVE and VIRTUAL!

Through our partnership with People Strategy Hub, we will host a high-intensity day of 30–40 minute sessions covering AI Leadership, Readiness, Governance, Work Design, Trust, and Responsible Scaling, with speakers from Microsoft, Imperial Brands, Moody's, and more.

Sessions span everything from leadership in the age of intelligent systems and diagnosing readiness gaps to agentic workflows, accountability in AI-augmented work, and proving measurable ROI in 2026.

Our Community members get important discounts. Team registrations are available. Reply to this email, and we'll take care of you.

🌟 Use our 25% discount code: HACKINGHR

Registration is open for Hacking HR’s AI in HR Experience Summit Virtual (June 17–19, 2026) — 100% virtual, 100% FREE.

Over three days, each focused on a single theme, dozens of experts will join us to discuss the most pressing challenges at the intersection of people, culture, and AI-powered technologies.

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Thousands of HR executives will gather at our upcoming summits to shape the future of work:

If your company provides solutions in HR tech, benefits, people analytics, DEI, or workforce strategy, these events are your opportunity to connect with the decision-makers who control HR budgets.

👉 Book an intro call with Laurie Baggarly: [email protected]

The thesis of this entire edition — on a mug.

Keep the reminder close. Get yours.

👉 Visit our store