We Don't Need More Team Building. We Need More Meaning.

Unmuted Podcast | Episode #87

Topic: We Don't Need More Team Building. We Need More Meaning.

Guest: Jody Steinhauer - President & Chief Bargain Officer at Bargains Group and Kits for a Cause

Guest LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodysteinhauer/

Guest Website: ⁠https://www.bargainsgroup.com/⁠⁠⁠

Host: Jeff Waldman – Founder & HR Tech Evangelist at ScaleHR & SocialHRCamp

Organizations spend a lot of time and money trying to bring employees together. Team outings. Retreats. Social events. Virtual happy hours. They can be fun, but simply putting people in the same room doesn't automatically create connection, belonging, or a stronger team.

What if the missing ingredient is meaning?

In this episode of Unmuted, Jeff Waldman sits down with Jody Steinhauer to explore how shared purpose, community involvement, and giving back can create a different kind of employee experience, one built around contribution, empathy, and making an impact together.

Jody shares her journey from building The Bargains Group to founding Engage and Change and Project Winter Survival, and eventually creating Kits for a Cause, connecting organizations with charities through purposeful employee engagement experiences.

We Explore:

• Why traditional team-building activities don't always create lasting connection
• What happens when employees come together around a cause bigger than their everyday work
• How purpose-driven experiences can build empathy, trust, and stronger relationships
• Why volunteering during work hours can make participation more accessible
• How these experiences can uncover leadership skills that don't always emerge in the workplace
• How organizations can incorporate purpose into conferences, ERG gatherings, sales meetings, and other existing events
• Why asking employees which causes matter to them is a great place to start
• How HR leaders can make community impact authentic rather than turning it into another corporate initiative

Timestamps:

00:00 — Opening conversation
00:35 — Introducing the Unmuted Podcast
01:31 — Why team building alone may not create meaning
02:23 — Meet Jody Steinhauer
03:20 — Jody's story and The Bargains Group
05:00 — The beginning of Project Winter Survival
06:23 — Engage and Change and winter survival kits
08:19 — The growth of Kits for a Cause
09:54 — What creates meaningful connection at work
12:41 — Purpose, empathy, and productivity
15:24 — What traditional team building gets right—and misses
17:38 — Purpose-driven activities after COVID
19:22 — Connecting hybrid teams through meaningful experiences
20:37 — What happens when teams work together around a cause
21:35 — Discovering hidden leadership skills
23:42 — Where HR leaders can start
24:42 — Asking employees what matters to them
26:29 — Keeping activities accessible and meaningful
27:26 — Purpose and changing employee expectations
29:30 — Jody's closing advice: make purpose a priority

About Jody Steinhauer:

Jody Steinhauer is the President and CBO (Chief Bargain Officer) of The Bargains Group, which she grew from her Toronto apartment into a multi-million-dollar business.

A passionate advocate for giving back, Jody is also the Founder and CEO of Engage and Change, the charity behind Project Winter Survival, launched in 1999 to support people experiencing homelessness across the GTA.

She is also behind Kits for a Cause, a social enterprise that connects organizations and teams with charities in need through purposeful employee engagement and team-building experiences. Its clients have included Amazon, Meta, Starbucks, United Way and organizations across Canada and the U.S.

Jody is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, employee engagement expert and, as she describes herself, an "impact matchmaker" and "broker of goodness".

🔗 Connect with Jody: linkedin.com/jodysteinhauer
🌐 Jody Steinhauer: jodysteinhauer.com
🌐 The Bargains Group: bargainsgroup.com
🌐 Kits for a Cause: kitsforacause.com
🌐 Engage and Change: engageandchange.org

About ScaleHR:

The Unmuted Podcast is powered by ScaleHR (goscalehr.com), helping emerging HR, Recruitment, and Work Tech companies accelerate brand awareness and lead generation through Catalyst, our community-driven content and omnichannel marketing solution.

🎙️ Unmuted is also part of the WRKdefined podcast network, making it easy to listen or watch on your preferred platform, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and more.

🌐 Explore Unmuted: goscalehr.com/theunmutedpodcast
🎧 Find Unmuted on WRKdefined: wrkdefined.com/podcast/unmuted

#Podcast #EmployeeEngagement #TeamBuilding #Purpose #Leadership #HR #PeopleAndCulture #WorkplaceCulture #FutureOfWork