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Sometimes HR isn't about solving problems—it’s about hearing them clearly.

Live from isolved Connect in Chicago, Donna Miller, Employee Relations Manager at Phil Long Dealerships, shares how three decades in the automotive industry shaped her people-first approach. From turnover challenges to commission delays, Donna opens up about what she’s hearing from the ground and how she’s helping leadership respond with empathy and urgency.

We talk about fixing payout gaps for new hires, facilitating PTO cash-outs during personal crises, and what it means to be truly reliable in HR. Through patience, presence, and quiet consistency, Donna models what employee relations is really about: showing up when it counts, not when it's convenient.

Timestamps:

00:00 — Meet Donna Miller of Phil Long Dealerships

01:05 — From front office to HR leadership over 30 years

02:00 — Managing employee relations through COVID

03:01 — Turnover, commission delay, and why sales teams leave

04:09 — Restructuring pay cycles to retain talent

05:05 — PTO cash-outs and supporting employees in crisis

06:34 — Building long-term trust through short-term action

08:00 — The power of loyalty and being seen by your employer

08:43 — Advice for new HR pros: patience isn’t optional

10:16 — Reliability, empathy, and consistency as HR currency

12:58 — When life gets hard, what keeps you moving


This conversation was recorded live at isolved Connect in Chicago.

The Heroes of HR podcast is a limited series sponsored by isolved. isolved is an HCM platform that modernizes HR, benefits, and payroll across Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing, and more.

You can learn more about isolved here: https://www.isolvedhcm.com/


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