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. "Stop pushing skills validation on everyone." | Why ServiceNow uses 'pull' talent strategies to find critical engineers.

    4 DAYS AGO

    "Stop pushing skills validation on everyone." | Why ServiceNow uses 'pull' talent strategies to find critical engineers.

    Most HR leaders are obsessed with "skilling" their workforce, but they’re ignoring the tasks that actually make up the work. Josh Newman, VP of Workforce Skills at ServiceNow, argues that skills data is essentially dead weight unless it’s tied to specific business processes and AI impacts. In this episode, Josh breaks down how ServiceNow is moving beyond simple taxonomies to create a "Talent Signature", a dynamic data layer that predicts who is ready for a promotion before they even raise their hand. 01:05 – Why AI makes HR more human, not less. 02:30 – Why redesigning HR won't be automatic and will take a "shitload of work." 04:00 – Defining the "AI-Native" organization and operationalizing intelligence. 05:25 – The "Talent Signature": Building the data layer for individual understanding. 06:30 – How ServiceNow uses intelligence to close the "Readiness Gap." 07:45 – Identifying "Forward Deployed Engineers" through capability adjacencies. 10:15 – The "Pull vs. Push" strategy: Why arbitrary skills validation fails. 12:20 – The 6-Layer Workforce Intelligence Stack (Strategy to Skills). 14:35 – Why ServiceNow chose TechWolf: The API and dynamic data layer. 16:25 – Measuring success: Infrastructure health vs. business-specific metrics. 18:50 – The next horizon: Integrating LLMs and organizational redesign. 20:15 – Josh’s question for the next guest (The Skills Skeptic).

    30 min
  2. "Stop benchmarking your peers..." | Lessons from a CHRO & People Analytics duo (xABN Amro) on data-driven workforce strategy

    24 FEB

    "Stop benchmarking your peers..." | Lessons from a CHRO & People Analytics duo (xABN Amro) on data-driven workforce strategy

    Most organizations are pouring millions into AI tools while their actual workforce strategy remains stuck in 2010. We talk about "efficiency," but we’re failing to measure the return on investment or the impact on the people actually doing the work. In this episode, Frank and Patrick from KennedyFitch break down why the "efficiency trap" is a race to the bottom and how HR leaders must shift from managing headcounts to architecting organizational capabilities. Timestamped Topics 01:06 – The AI Metrics Gap: Addressing whether board-level AI objectives are enterprise-wide or just "siloed in HR and IT." 03:51 – "Not yet": Frank’s direct take on why companies haven't actually updated their scorecards for the GenAI era. 06:33 – The Human Quotient: Why the return on investment (ROI) for technology is lagging behind the speed of adoption. 08:26 – The Next-Gen CHRO Search: How the leadership profile is shifting toward "digital dexterity" and strategy execution. 11:39 – Evidence-Based HR: Why the new breed of CHRO must move past being a "jack of all trades" to become a data-driven architect. 15:45 – The Skepticism Trap: Why HR leaders often reject skills data because it isn't properly contextualized with business growth. 17:54 – Cracking the SWM Nut: A systematic breakdown of Strategic Workforce Management—from demand mapping to supply analysis. 20:15 – The Demand Struggle: Why identifying "workforce demand" is the hardest part of the strategy (and why tools can't do it for you). 24:59 – Beyond Headcount: Moving the conversation from "size and FTEs" to organizational capabilities and leadership types. 29:04 – Stop Copying Benchmarks: Patrick’s warning against "social influence" and why you should build your own practice instead of testing what others do. 32:20 – "The Heat of the Moment": Why the value of an HR roadmap is only proven during a crisis or major shift, not two years later. 34:59 – Task Intelligence vs. Hype: Moving from high-level "AI will automate 20% of work" to granular, actionable employee-level data. 38:45 – The "Co-Pilot" Philosophy: Positioning AI as a partner to navigate complexity rather than a tool for simple replacement. 41:15 – The Three-Signal Filter: Balancing the Voice of the Business, the Voice of the Market, and the Voice of the Employee. 44:10 – Deducting Complexity: The final mandate for CHROs to provide vision and direction in an "intense world of complexity."

    45 min
  3. “The 'All-Access Pass' to CEO Strategy.” | Experienced F500 CHRO, Jordana Kammerud, on the New Boardroom Mandate

    10 FEB

    “The 'All-Access Pass' to CEO Strategy.” | Experienced F500 CHRO, Jordana Kammerud, on the New Boardroom Mandate

    Most organizations are "dabbling" with AI while the technology's capability doubles every four months. Jordana Kammerud (Experienced F500 CHRO) and Mik Wornoo (Co-founder, TechWolf) argue that we’ve reached a turning point: the "Oppenheimer moment" of workforce transformation, where HR must either step up as a business strategist or watch the organization succumb to the weight of outdated role-based systems. This episode breaks down the three horizons of work intelligence and how to build a trust-based "all-access pass" to the CEO's agenda. In this episode, we discuss: 00:00 – The Fortune 500 Perspective: Introducing Jordana Kammerud. 01:04 – Why Skills Strategies Failed (Until Now): Moving past legacy systems that "died under their own weight." 03:43 – The End of Role-Based Talent Management: Why traditional job architectures are no longer viable in 2026. 04:14 – The "Go Deep" Mandate for CHROs: Why leaders must personally master AI tools to shepherd transformation. 05:42 – Exponential Acceleration: Understanding the shift from AI doubling every 7 months to every 4 months. 07:04 – The Early Adopter Program: Co-creating the future of workforce intelligence with TechWolf. 08:23 – The "Secret Sauce" of CEO Trust: How data-driven insights solidify the CHRO-CEO bond. 12:14 – The "All-Access Pass": Defining the CHRO as a business leader first, functional expert second. 14:52 – HR’s Oppenheimer Moment: Facing the reality of 50% displacement in early careers. 18:03 – Maintaining Humanity at Scale: Balancing "synthetic empathy" with real-world human judgment. 22:09 – From Black Coffee to Million Permutations: Reimagining career pathing through a "rich tapestry" of skills. 26:15 – The Three Horizons of Work Intelligence: A tactical framework for present and future AI ROI. 30:19 – Squelching vs. Cultivating Curiosity: How to protect innovation in an automated workforce. 33:54 – The Boardroom Question: "Is the caliber of our workforce better or worse than last quarter?" 36:49 – The Closing Question: Jordana’s query for the next global HR leader.

    41 min
  4. “AI goals are now mandatory.” | How Genesys hit 75% skill adoption in 60 Days with Lisa Brockman (Part 2)

    2 FEB

    “AI goals are now mandatory.” | How Genesys hit 75% skill adoption in 60 Days with Lisa Brockman (Part 2)

    Lisa Brockman, Talent Director at Genesys, returns to prove that skills-based transformation isn't a multi-year "maybe"—it’s a 60-day "must". After launching an AI-driven pilot to 2,000 employees in November, Genesys saw 75% of users validate their skills almost immediately. But they aren't stopping at data collection. In this episode, Lisa reveals why Genesys is making AI-specific goals mandatory for every single employee starting this February. She breaks down the shift from manual, static spreadsheets to a dynamic "Data Presence" where opportunities now find the employees. This is the blueprint for moving past the "manual trap" and building a workforce that is actually ready for the AI era.

    12 min
  5. “People don’t care about skills.” | Genesys’ Lisa Brockman on the Internal-First Mobility Playbook (Part 1)

    20 JAN

    “People don’t care about skills.” | Genesys’ Lisa Brockman on the Internal-First Mobility Playbook (Part 1)

    Most organizations spend 18 months building manual skill taxonomies only to realize the data was stale before it was even finished. Lisa Brockman (Talent Management Director at Genesys) realized that if employees don’t trust the data, they won’t use the marketplace, leaving leadership to hire externally for skills they likely already own. In this PART 1 episode with Lisa, we break down how to move from "manual and messy" to a scalable, AI-driven skills strategy that actually fuels internal mobility. The Breakdown 01:51 – The 18-month mistake: Why manual skill mapping isn't scalable. 03:04 – AI Mindset: Shifting from "nice-to-have" to "must-have" for AI readiness. 05:22 – The "So What?" Factor: Connecting skills to gigs, roles, and learning. 07:44 – Why Workday Skills Cloud needs a "clean fuel" source to drive Career Hub adoption. 09:30 – Change Management: Why HR can’t push this alone.

    12 min
  6. "Your business case isn't big enough. The best ones have these two elements" | SAP SuccessFactors' CRO on the revenue-first skills strategy

    12 JAN

    "Your business case isn't big enough. The best ones have these two elements" | SAP SuccessFactors' CRO on the revenue-first skills strategy

    Most companies are using AI to do the same boring work faster. They’re chasing "efficiency" while completely ignoring the fact that the work itself needs to be redesigned. Jan Duthoo (CRO, SAP SuccessFactors) joins us to explain why your business case for skills is likely too small, why L’Oreal and Safran used the exact same technology for opposite reasons, and how to stop "boiling the ocean" with HR tech. Timestamps: 04:12 – Why SAP’s own revenue grew when they stopped "selling and forgetting." 08:45 – The L’Oreal Paradox: Using skills to decrease internal mobility. 12:30 – The Business Case: Moving from "efficiency" to "work redesign." 18:15 – Why your HR project needs to fail faster (and smaller). 22:40 – The "Car on Steroids": How SAP and TechWolf actually fit together. 28:05 – The COVID Moment: Can CHROs reclaim their seat at the executive table?

    24 min
  7. “Skills tech is useless without this” | Advent Health’s culture-first playbook for skills transformation

    5 JAN

    “Skills tech is useless without this” | Advent Health’s culture-first playbook for skills transformation

    Most organizations buy the software and hope the culture follows. Advent Health did the exact opposite. Marquita and Mary Beth spent two years building a "culture of curiosity" before flipping the switch on their technology. In this live episode from Workday Rising, they break down why skills have a five-year shelf life and how to move your workforce from "episodic learning" to a dynamic, self-driven engine. Episode Highlights 02:15 – The 9 critical skills for the 2030 workforce. 06:40 – Why the "shelf life" of a skill is shorter than you think. 11:20 – "Pull" vs. "Push": Moving away from mandatory training. 18:45 – The Psychological Safety gap: Why employees hide their weaknesses. 24:10 – The ROI of curiosity in a healthcare talent shortage.

    21 min
  8. "If We Do Nothing, We Lose." | HSBC’s Blueprint for Future Competitive Advantage

    03/12/2025

    "If We Do Nothing, We Lose." | HSBC’s Blueprint for Future Competitive Advantage

    Is your workforce plan looking in the rear-view mirror, or is it predicting your next market win? Rob Etheridge, Group Head of Workforce Strategy at HSBC, argues that most organizations are drowning in "use cases" while missing the bigger picture: future competitive advantage. In this episode, Rob reveals why he rejected the "4,000 skills" taxonomy, why buying more HR tech won't solve your talent gap, and how HSBC is building a "Blueprint" to secure its future. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – 01:22 | Setting the stage 01:22 – 03:33 | Why skills-based workforce planning actually matters 03:33 – 06:29 | Business triggers for HSBC’s skills-led transformation 06:29 – 11:40 | From abstract concept to actionable blueprint 11:40 – 16:59 | Why HSBC partnered with TechWolf 16:59 – 23:53 | Early wins: taxonomy, pilots & proof points 23:53 – 27:32 | Choosing the right pilot area 27:32 – 30:11 | Storytelling and stakeholder buy-in 30:11 – 32:19 | Looking one year ahead 32:19 – 33:27 | Rob’s question for the next guest

    34 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    TechWolf
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    26
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TechWolf
  • Show Website
    The TechWolf Podcast

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