Nora Burns
SPHR
CO, USYour secret weapon to attract top talent, build a thriving workplace culture, and retain the right people. What do employees tell each other, but don't tell you? Nora, The Undercover Employee, knows.
Nora Burns is anything but ordinary. As the founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of The Leadership Experts, she’s redefined what it means to understand workplace culture from the inside out. A former Fortune 200 executive, Nora has led teams through complex challenges, transforming companies from the boardroom to the front lines. She didn’t just study leadership—she lived it, navigating the dynamics of blue, white, and pink-collar employees with an unrivaled knack for creating thriving teams.
But Nora’s true game-changer? The Undercover Project™. She went incognito, applying for over 350 jobs and working frontline roles at Fortune 500 companies as The Undercover Employee™. Nora didn’t rely on titles or boardroom credentials—she got down in the trenches to experience firsthand what employees really think about hiring, culture, and retention. She’s heard the raw, unfiltered truth that frontline workers won’t tell their managers.
Now, Nora is on a mission to help organizations connect the dots—bridging the gap between leadership strategies and real-world employee experiences. If you want to attract top talent, build a thriving workplace culture, and retain the right people, Nora’s your secret weapon.
A Past President of the National Speakers Association-Colorado, Nora travels from Denver to bring her unique, entertaining, and insightful perspective on business to audiences across the United States.
Learn more about Nora's work via her podcast "Stories From The Breakroom": https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MWkyw4Uoah7D9cZpeOdy5
Nora Burns is anything but ordinary. As the founder and Chief Curiosity Officer of The Leadership Experts, she’s redefined what it means to understand workplace culture from the inside out. A former Fortune 200 executive, Nora has led teams through complex challenges, transforming companies from the boardroom to the front lines. She didn’t just study leadership—she lived it, navigating the dynamics of blue, white, and pink-collar employees with an unrivaled knack for creating thriving teams.
But Nora’s true game-changer? The Undercover Project™. She went incognito, applying for over 350 jobs and working frontline roles at Fortune 500 companies as The Undercover Employee™. Nora didn’t rely on titles or boardroom credentials—she got down in the trenches to experience firsthand what employees really think about hiring, culture, and retention. She’s heard the raw, unfiltered truth that frontline workers won’t tell their managers.
Now, Nora is on a mission to help organizations connect the dots—bridging the gap between leadership strategies and real-world employee experiences. If you want to attract top talent, build a thriving workplace culture, and retain the right people, Nora’s your secret weapon.
A Past President of the National Speakers Association-Colorado, Nora travels from Denver to bring her unique, entertaining, and insightful perspective on business to audiences across the United States.
Learn more about Nora's work via her podcast "Stories From The Breakroom": https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MWkyw4Uoah7D9cZpeOdy5
Stories From The Breakroom: What Employees Tell Each Other But Don’t Tell You
In this interactive keynote, Nora Burns, known as The Undercover Employee™ shares a firsthand account of workplace realities from the front lines. Nora invested 15 months behind the scenes at prominent organizations. She traded her leadership role for a polyester uniform to stock shelves, ring up orders, and clean bathrooms. More importantly, she listened closely to employees as they discussed the unfiltered truths about their work environment, leadership, and organizational culture....
Humanizing Talent: Strategies to Combat Double-Digit Turnover
This program is perfect for:
- Associations
- Leaders/Directors
- Hiring Managers
No doubt you’ve read or heard that leaders need to “humanize employees” in order to stop double-digit turnover. “Humanize” how we hire, train, and develop top talent in this new era of work.
Okay – let’s do that. Wait.
What does that mean, exactly? What does it mean to candidates, new hires, and...
Next-Gen Talent Blueprint: Unlocking the Secrets to Attract, Inspire, and Keep Young People Engaged
This interactive workshop dives into the insights and strategies needed to successfully recruit and retain younger talent in today’s competitive job market. Led by Nora Burns, founder of The Undercover Project™, this program leverages proprietary research conducted as both The Undercover Candidate™ and The Undercover Employee™. Backed by authentic, on-the-ground experiences, as well as survey data from young employees, the workshop explores what our youngest workers truly value in their...
Intersection of AI and Hiring: Cutting Through the Noise & Spotting AI-Enhanced Candidates
Timing: 50-75 Minute Breakout or Concurrent
Style: Highly Interactive, Real-World Examples, Action Items
Key Takeaways:
- The telltale signs of an AI-enhanced candidate—and how to get a clearer picture of their actual skills.
- Practical ways to dig deeper and assess qualifications beyond a polished, AI-assisted application.
- How to keep AI as a helpful hiring tool...
The Cost of Culture: ECHOs of Leadership
Format:
45-60 minute Keynote
This program is perfect for:
- Senior Leadership
- Franchise Owners
- Managers working with a high percentage of customer-facing employees
What would you learn about reflective leadership if you mopped the floors, stocked the shelves, or made the deliveries?
For many, we bear titles such as Leader, Manager, Director, Vice President,...
Custom Program Example - Nightmare on HR Street
Format: Customize Programs Designed To Fit Your Needs. This program was 30 minutes followed by a Q&A
This program was designed for:
- SHRM Chapter
- Human Resource Professionals
The audience left with:
- Examples of real-world hiring fiascos
- Three elements of hiring to easily audit and adjust within a week
- Data on what trends are...
Emcee and Content Weaver - Virtual, On-Site, or Hybrid
As a former meeting planner, Nora has a unique appreciation for the importance of a skilled and responsive emcee. With Nora as part of your team, you can be assured that you have a partner who is committed to hosting an interactive, easy-flowing, on-time event.
Nora is the ultimate event host who connects with attendees, guides them through the meeting or conference, and reinforces key learnings along the way. Sponsors appreciate her as she seamlessly ties...
Partnership Power: Crafting Exceptional Events with Speaker and Planner Collaboration
Format: 60 minutes with the ability to flex 45 minutes to 120 minutes to accommodate your specific program needs and goals.
This program is perfect for:
·Meeting planners, event coordinators, and conference organizers
·Event professionals looking to maximize the value of event speakers
·Anyone seeking innovative approaches to creating exceptional event experiences
Meeting...
Benefit Auctioneer
Nora grew up with livestock, farm, and homestead auctions, but now works in the fundraising and benefit auction space as an emcee and auctioneer.
A quick-witted, humor-forward emcee and benefit auctioneer, Nora has helped nonprofits raise the expectations on their auctions. Paddleraisers, silent auctions, live auctions - Nora will partner with your planning team to maximize the experience and your fundraising efforts.
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