EP 70 HR Is a Rorschach Test, the U of U Drops 600 HR Jobs, and Michael Jordan's Black Corvette in the Empty Red Seat

The Red Seat sits empty this week, which means nobody is there to keep Tony and Steve on task, and it shows. Steve finally tells the story of the day Michael Jordan pulled up in a black Corvette and wanted to know why a couple of kids were photographing his fence. Tony counters with Donny Osmond, a fan who could be heard from seventy-five yards away, and the time J.R.R. Tolkien told an editor to stop citing the dictionary because he helped write it. Somewhere between Steve admitting his AI agent summarizes Tony's texts so he never has to read them, and Tony cheerfully shoulder-tapping a total stranger at the Utah Work Elevated Conference, the guys get around to the news. And the news is a lot.

Disney is telling employees that spouses and domestic partners with access to other coverage need to go get it there, and Tony has thoughts about what that means for two-income households and the mom and pop shop down the street. The University of Utah paid consultants millions for a plan to cut staff, and HR is first in line, with plans to shrink a 900-person HR team to 300. Then the conversation turns to Gen Z. Tony brings a Simon Sinek take that might make you rethink every eye roll you've aimed at a 23-year-old, and Steve brings proof that employers have been calling the next generation lazy for centuries. Is Gen Z entitled, or did they just watch their Gen X parents get laid off and do the math? Why does Tony think HR is a Rorschach test, and what does your company see when it looks at the inkblot?

A Link to the UofU story: https://www.sltrib.com/news/education/2026/09/15/university-utah-plans-lay-off/

A link to the video of Simon Sinek talking about Gen Z: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1CEkpqG8W1/

Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/

Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/

Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast

Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/

Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/

Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/

Learn more about Thrive Life Project at: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/