The TechWolf Podcast

TechWolf

Technology in HR is booming, yet confusing. Many vendors claim to include AI (agents), skills, seamless integrations, and other technologies in their product offerings. In practice, product promises often differ from reality. In this podcast, our host, Julius Schelstraete, holds no-nonsense conversations with business practitioners and thought leaders on everything related to "the skills-based organization": what it is, whether it's realistic, typical roadblocks, real-life use cases, and more. Join us as we move beyond the hype and examine skills-based HR from a critical, realistic lens!

  1. “Skills-based hiring isn’t broken. Your interviews are.” | The Business Case for Skills-Based Hiring at Workday With Marianne Herrmann

    23 OKT

    “Skills-based hiring isn’t broken. Your interviews are.” | The Business Case for Skills-Based Hiring at Workday With Marianne Herrmann

    In this episode of the TechWolf Podcast, recorded live at Workday Rising in San Francisco, Marianne Herrmann (Principal, Skills-Based Hiring Strategy & Enablement at Workday) reveals the real numbers behind a hiring revolution. Workday didn’t “experiment” with skills-based hiring; they rebuilt hiring around it. By combining AI-driven insights from TechWolf with behavioral science and relentless business alignment, they cut underperformance by 39% and accelerated ramp-up speed by 14% across key roles. This conversation goes far beyond HR strategy; it’s about how precision in skills can transform hiring outcomes, productivity, and even patient care.

    30 min
  2. Special Episode | “The Skeleton of the Skills-Based Org” | A Deep Dive on Job Architecture with Richard Hanson (WTW)

    29 SEP

    Special Episode | “The Skeleton of the Skills-Based Org” | A Deep Dive on Job Architecture with Richard Hanson (WTW)

    This special edition of the TechWolf Podcast puts the spotlight on a topic that’s often misunderstood, frequently overlooked, but absolutely foundational: Job Architecture. Julius sits down with Richard Hanson - former founder of Jobbable and now leading Digital Strategy & Innovation at WTW - for a deep, candid exploration of the frameworks behind workforce transformation. Whether you’re mapping skills, building a talent marketplace, or launching GenAI pilots, you’ll need a job architecture that doesn’t collapse under the pressure of change. What you'll learn: What job architecture really is and why most people still get it wrong How to balance compensation governance with skills strategy Why the job architecture is “the body of the car” and skills are the fuel The real reason so many organizations get stuck at the starting line How to sell the case for architecture investment to your CFO Why GenAI job families didn’t exist 18 months ago, and what to do about it The role of AI-powered vendors (like TechWolf) in keeping architectures alive What a great architecture looks like from scratch - tech, teams & steps

    37 min
  3. "HR Problems Became Business Problems. For the first time" | TechWolf Founder & President Mikael Wornoo on Task Data, Workforce Planning & the New HR Mandate

    12 SEP

    "HR Problems Became Business Problems. For the first time" | TechWolf Founder & President Mikael Wornoo on Task Data, Workforce Planning & the New HR Mandate

    In this episode of The TechWolf Podcast, host Julius Schelstraete speaks with Mikael Wornoo, co-founder of TechWolf and the leader of its US expansion. Calling in from New York, Mikael lays out why skills data alone is no longer enough—and how task-level intelligence is the key to making workforce AI transformation actionable. From task automation to strategic workforce planning, this episode unpacks the urgent market shift that's uniting HR and business leaders: understanding how AI is disrupting work—and what to do about it. You’ll also get a sneak peek into TechWolf’s newest launch: the Workforce Intelligence Index, a public data tool built on 2 billion job postings and 10 years of labor market data. If you’re in HR, talent, transformation, or workforce planning, this episode is your cheat sheet for how to lead—not follow—during AI disruption. 🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways Why workforce planning has changed forever From forecasting to modeling AI adoption: With AI affecting every sector, workforce planning isn’t about “what if” anymore—it’s about how fast. The new job of HR is understanding task-level change: what humans do today, what AI might do tomorrow, and what that means for reskilling and redeployment. What skills data can’t do—without tasks Tasks bring precision to workforce intelligence: they make AI use cases like augmentation, automation, and role redesign measurable and actionable. With tasks, you can finally answer: What’s the impact of AI on our workforce—and how do we respond? The rise of the CHRO–CEO alliance For the first time, business and HR leaders share the same problem: how to future-proof the workforce in the face of AI.That’s creating momentum for a new kind of HR leader—one who tells compelling stories backed by data and builds coalitions across the enterprise. Introducing: The Workforce Intelligence Index A first-of-its-kind tool, analyzing how AI is already transforming jobs, tasks, and skills across 1,500 companies. Built to help HR and business leaders stop guessing—and start planning with confidence.

    22 min
  4. “Excel Didn’t Help in a Crisis” | How the Belgian Government Built a National Skills System from Scratch

    11 SEP

    “Excel Didn’t Help in a Crisis” | How the Belgian Government Built a National Skills System from Scratch

    In this episode of The TechWolf Podcast, Carolien Sonck, Director of Support Services at the Belgian Government, joins Julius Schelstraete in Ghent to share a remarkable transformation story. When the COVID-19 crisis exposed a fundamental blind spot in their workforce data, Carolien and her team set out to build something entirely new: a skills-based workforce intelligence system that could support crisis response, mobility, internal consultancy, and national talent planning. Carolien shares how the journey began with phone calls and spreadsheets and evolved into a real-time skills system now used across multiple departments. She explains how the government is reshaping internal mobility, mapping AI-disrupted roles, and bringing employees and worker councils on board—all with privacy and trust at the center. This episode is a must-listen for public sector leaders, HR teams, and change-makers looking to build a data-driven workforce strategy—without relying on guesswork.

    22 min
  5. “We Built Competency Models. They Weren’t Enough.” | Sanofi’s Guillaume Lavoix on Building a Workforce for the AI-Driven Pharma Era

    30 JUL

    “We Built Competency Models. They Weren’t Enough.” | Sanofi’s Guillaume Lavoix on Building a Workforce for the AI-Driven Pharma Era

    In this episode, Guillaume Lavoix, Global Skills Intelligence Lead at Sanofi, shares how one of the world’s largest pharma companies is embedding skills at the heart of its transformation. Guillaume explains how Sanofi’s “Skills Power” program emerged from a shifting business strategy: moving toward R&D-driven innovation and AI-enabled drug development. He details the early steps — from building a global skills taxonomy with over 500 SMEs to piloting employee-driven experiences in career development and learning — and how these moves are preparing Sanofi for workforce automation and new ways of working. This conversation is essential for HR and business leaders navigating complex transformations while ensuring workforce readiness for the future.

    32 min
  6. One Common Language of Skills In a Decentralized and Global Group | How Atlas Copco Group Is Using AI to Rethink Talent Strategy

    30 JUN

    One Common Language of Skills In a Decentralized and Global Group | How Atlas Copco Group Is Using AI to Rethink Talent Strategy

    In this episode of the TechWolf Podcast, we travel to Stockholm to meet Cecilia Sandberg, Chief HR Officer, and Dorna Shafiei, VP Talent Management at Atlas Copco Group. Together, they break down the practical journey of making a 55,000-person industrial tech company skills-enabled, without introducing a new platform or compromising on cultural values. The conversation covers internal mobility, skills-based hiring, and job architecture transformation. Packed with learnings from the field, this episode offers a blueprint for embedding skills across a decentralized global enterprise. Cecilia Sandberg is CHRO of Atlas Copco Group, leading strategic people transformation across a decentralized, 70-country industrial organization. Dorna Shafiei is VP Talent Management and a driving force behind the Group’s skills-based talent acquisition and development strategy.

    22 min
  7. Why Skills-Based HR Is Still Stuck | Harvard Prof. Joseph Fuller on Cracking the People-Productivity Code

    22 JUN

    Why Skills-Based HR Is Still Stuck | Harvard Prof. Joseph Fuller on Cracking the People-Productivity Code

    Why do so many companies say they’re going skills-based, but still hire like it’s 2005? In this episode of The TechWolf Podcast, Julius sits down with Harvard Business School Professor Joe Fuller to uncover the disconnect. From the real business case for skills to the hidden role of AI, Joe makes one thing clear: skills are more than an HR experiment—they’re your edge in a high-stakes transformation race. 🎙️ This episode is a wake-up call for: CHROs navigating AI disruption Strategy leaders stuck in job-first thinking Anyone tired of skills theater and ready for results 👀 Filmed live in Ghent, this episode blends global insight with raw honesty—and might just rewire how you think about your HR function.

    1u 2m
  8. “We Needed More Skilled Talent to Save Lives” | How Bristol Myers Squibb Used Skills Data to Solve a Life-or-Death Talent Shortage

    17 JUN

    “We Needed More Skilled Talent to Save Lives” | How Bristol Myers Squibb Used Skills Data to Solve a Life-or-Death Talent Shortage

    In this in-person episode of The TechWolf Podcast, we sit down with Ben Wein, Director of Workforce Skills Enablement at Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS), live from the Flanders House in New York City. Ben shares the inside story of how one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies is becoming a skills-based organization—starting with a business-critical talent shortage in cell therapy manufacturing. He explains how BMS uses skills data to drive faster hiring, smarter workforce planning, and ultimately, patient impact. 💡 Final Takeaway: In pharma, solving the right talent problem isn’t a nice-to-have—it can literally save lives. Skills data is how BMS gets there. Ben shares: ✔ Why time-to-fill became a life-or-death metric at BMS ✔ How skills helped solve a manufacturing talent crisis in cell therapy ✔ What not to focus on in your first year of becoming skill-based ✔ Why AI and task-level data will define the next wave of skills strategy ✔ What pharma gets right about workforce planning—and what others can learn Time stamps: 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction of Ben Wein (Bristol Myers Squibb) 01:11 – The cultural traits powering skills strategy: Trust & transparency 02:33 – Timeline: How long BMS has been on the skills journey 03:15 – What is a skills-based organization? Ben’s definition 04:30 – Why now? AI, business urgency & talent shortages 06:40 – Cell therapy as a high-stakes use case for skills 07:53 – Skills data in pharma: Planning 5–10 years ahead 09:18 – BMS’s starting point: Talent acquisition and internal mobility 11:42 – Skills data quality: “From zero to one” and evolving governance 13:37 – Managing expectations with the business 15:18 – Speaking two languages: Business vs. HR 16:23 – How the BMS skills team is structured and evolving 18:34 – Internal mobility as the first North Star use case 20:35 – Roles, tasks, and skills: Why jobs still matter 23:56 – Still cracking the model: Tasks and the future of work 25:10 – Change management: The real skills transformation hurdle 28:44 – What’s next? Planning for AI & the future of the pharma workforce 31:02 – Where Ben goes to learn: Peers, forums, and building internal trust 33:11 – Ben’s question for the next guest

    34 min
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Info

Technology in HR is booming, yet confusing. Many vendors claim to include AI (agents), skills, seamless integrations, and other technologies in their product offerings. In practice, product promises often differ from reality. In this podcast, our host, Julius Schelstraete, holds no-nonsense conversations with business practitioners and thought leaders on everything related to "the skills-based organization": what it is, whether it's realistic, typical roadblocks, real-life use cases, and more. Join us as we move beyond the hype and examine skills-based HR from a critical, realistic lens!

Informatie

  • Maker
    TechWolf
  • Jaren actief
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  • Afleveringen
    17
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  • Copyright
    © TechWolf
  • Website van aflevering
    The TechWolf Podcast

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