Join Tara as she chats with Jesse, aka “Your Unfiltered BFF” on TikTok, who is known for her raw and hilarious takes on corporate life and HR nonsense.
Jesse shares her journey on social media, unexpectedly becoming a voice of reason for many frustrated employees. Discover how small daily injustices and performative HR policies can undermine corporate culture and why unfiltered honesty is in high demand.
Jesse offers insights on how companies can improve employee experience and maintain authenticity. If you’ve ever felt alone in your corporate struggles, this episode is sure to resonate!
The illusion of “people-first” culture has cracked and no one’s buying the glossy HR spin anymore.
In this week’s episode of The Balanced Badass Podcast®, I sat down with Jesse Tervooren, better known online as Your Unfiltered BFF on TikTok, whose viral HR commentary has struck a nerve across corporate America.
Together, we unpacked what’s really going on inside those so-called “progressive workplaces,” why burnout is built into the system, and how employees are finally calling BS on performative leadership.
The Great Corporate Awakening
The pandemic didn’t just disrupt work; it exposed how fragile and outdated many corporate systems truly were. Jesse summed it up perfectly:
COVID crumbled the foundation of corporate America.
For decades, leaders clung to the idea that “work must look a certain way” to be legitimate. Then, almost overnight, millions of people proved that productivity could thrive without cubicles, commutes, or constant oversight.
That revelation briefly shifted power.
Employees saw the benefits of flexibility, autonomy, and working in environments where they could breathe. But when companies tried to reverse that progress and drag everyone back to the office, it wasn’t about collaboration. It was about control.
And people noticed.
We’re now in an era where employees are questioning not just how they work, but why outdated norms persist. “If my performance is strong,” Jesse said, “why do I need to be seen to be trusted?”
Fair point.
Performative Care Is the New Corporate Pandemic
Many organizations claim to care deeply about their people. But as Jesse pointed out, care without integrity is just optics.
And one of the biggest red flags is when organizations reward the wrong leaders.
Promoting those with a trail of complaints or who lead through fear and compliance ruins the culture. Yet it happens every day because those individuals are “predictable,” “loyal,” or simply willing to tolerate dysfunction.
When you reward compliance over character, you teach everyone else that integrity doesn’t matter.
Jesse shared story after story from her HR background: healthcare organizations offering terrible healthcare benefits, “family-oriented” workplaces scheduling parents for unpredictable 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shifts, and executives prioritizing perception over people.
These are the quiet, everyday betrayals that create burnout and distrust.
As she points out, the corporate machine doesn’t need one massive failure to break people… it just needs a thousand small ones.
The Real Problem With Performance Reviews
One of Jesse’s biggest HR gripes is the annual performance review cycle.
She calls it what it is—a performative ritual that does more harm than good.
When merit increases are predetermined percentages disguised as performance rewards, employees quickly learn that effort and outcome don’t always correlate.
Transparency, clarity, and real coaching conversations are replaced by vague feedback and pay bumps that don’t even match inflation.
Don’t confuse merit with a cost-of-living adjustment.
That line should be printed on every HR handbook.
A better system, she argues, separates inflation adjustments, performance coaching, and career progression into distinct, transparent processes, so employees know where they stand and what’s next.
Because when people understand the rubric, they can grow. When they don’t, they disengage.
Leadership Without Alignment
We often talk about developing leaders, but as Jesse reminded me, most companies don’t actually train them.
They promote high performers and hope for the best. But you end up with micromanagers, power hoarders, and misaligned executives pulling in different directions.
Without shared values, clear communication, and consistent systems, even the most well-intentioned initiatives crumble under ego and control.
And here’s the irony: the same leaders who resist structure often claim to value accountability. But accountability without alignment won’t get you very far.
The New Era of Corporate Honesty
Jesse’s voice resonates because she’s saying out loud what so many employees whisper in private.
People are tired of pretending that engagement can fix systemic burnout, or that wellness webinars can offset toxic leadership.
The truth is simple: caring for people requires more than statements. It demands accountability, transparency, and alignment.
And the next generation of leaders—the ones rising right now—aren’t asking for permission to build that future. They’re already doing it.
To connect with Jesse, follow her on TikTok.
Got thoughts or questions from this week’s episode? Drop them in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! 🫶
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I’m Tara Kermiet — leadership coach, burnout strategist, and host of The Balanced Badass Podcast®. I help high-achievers and corporate leaders design careers that are successful and sustainable.
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