HR Leaders

Chris Rainey
  • 4.7 (62)
  • Management
  • Updated Daily

Join host Chris Rainey on the HR Leaders Podcast, where he sits down with top Chief People Officers, CHROs, and leading HR experts to uncover the strategies, trends, and insights shaping the future of human resources. Each episode dives into best practices in people management, leadership challenges, and transformative HR innovations that impact both business success and society at large. Whether you're an HR professional or simply passionate about modern workplace strategies, this podcast delivers expert advice, real-world experiences, and the latest trends in HR, making it your go-to resource for all things human resources.

  1. 1d ago

    How to Stay Ahead in the AI Era

    AI is changing work faster than most people expect. The real question isn't whether jobs will change, but whether employees and leaders are prepared to adapt. In this episode, Jacob Morgan, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder of Future Of Work Leaders, explains why employee experience must evolve and what organisations can do to stay ahead. Jacob introduces the Eight Laws of Employee Experience, showing how organisations can return to the fundamentals while adapting for an AI-driven future. He explores why leaders must balance empathy with accountability, create cultures where difficult conversations drive innovation, and invest in internal mobility rather than leaving employees uncertain about what's next. For HR and business leaders, this conversation is a reminder that AI doesn't remove the need for great leadership, it raises the standard. Whether you're redesigning employee experience, preparing your workforce for AI, or helping people take ownership of their careers, this episode offers practical ideas for building organisations that are ready for what's next. 🎓 In this episode, Jacob discusses: Why the Eight Laws of Employee Experience matter now and how they help organisations adapt to an AI-driven workplace.The balance between empathy and accountability and why high-performing cultures need both to succeed.Why employees must become active owners of their careers instead of waiting for organisations to shape their future.How leaders should prepare their workforce for AI, from internal mobility to better workforce planning.Using AI as a competitive advantage to learn faster, build new opportunities and stay ahead of change. 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. 6d ago

    How to Lead Under Pressure Without Losing Yourself

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Mechelle Monroe, former Global Chief People Officer for WPP Open X, Team Coca-Cola at WPP, explores how people leaders can support others without losing touch with what they need themselves. Mechelle breaks emotional resilience into practical habits, including scheduled emotional maintenance, conscious breathing, honest self-talk, protected meals, movement, reflection, and knowing when to say no. She also explains how naming an emotion, questioning the story behind it, and creating a clear end to the working day can stop difficult moments from following leaders home. As work becomes faster and more technical, emotional intelligence and emotional resilience become more valuable, not less. For leaders carrying other people’s stress, the real question is not how much more they can absorb, but whether they have built the capacity to pause, recover, and keep showing up well. 🎓 In this episode, Mechelle discusses: How to challenge your internal story by naming emotions, asking yourself better questions, and looking for evidenceWhy emotional resilience matters alongside emotional intelligence when leaders are facing constant pressure and changeHow to stop carrying difficult conversations home by creating physical and mental transitions at the end of the working dayThe small warning sign that your emotional reserve is depleted, even before you realize how much pressure you are carryingWhat emotional maintenance looks like in practice, from protecting lunch and reflection time to consciously breathing and knowing when to say no 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  3. Jul 13

    How to Use AI Without Losing the Human Side of Work

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Jennifer M. Bales, Chief Human Resources Officer at Shearwater Health, to unpack how HR leaders can build culture, scale talent, and use AI without losing the human behind the work. Jennifer shares how Shearwater Health is connecting values, frontline employees, clinical talent, leadership development, engagement data, and employee storytelling across the US, India, and the Philippines. With more than 5,000 employees in the Philippines alone, she explains why building one shared culture takes more than posters, surveys, or slogans. Most importantly, Jennifer explains why the future of healthcare work is not about replacing people with technology. It is about helping clinicians work at the top of their license, reducing administrative burden, strengthening leadership capability, and remembering that behind every metric is a real person. 🎓 In this episode, Jennifer discusses: Why there is always a person behind every data pointWhy AI should help clinicians work at the top of their licenseWhy leadership development, coaching quality, and 90-day retention are key culture metricsHow Shearwater is building nursing talent pipelines through academies and hospital partnershipsHow Shearwater Health built values with input from employees across the US, India, and the Philippines 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  4. Jul 8

    How to Build a Human-First AI Strategy That Actually Works

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Lisa Yankie, Chief HR Officer at Odyssey Logistics, to unpack why the future of HR is not just about AI, technology, or transformation. It is about solving the right problems with the right people in the room. Lisa shares how her own journey, from humble beginnings to leadership across manufacturing, financial services, and mid-sized companies, shaped the way she leads today. Her experience gave her a broader lens on business, resilience, empathy, courage, and the value of taking chances when others open the door. Most importantly, Lisa explains why HR must stop acting like an afterthought. In her words, human capital is the business. As AI changes work, HR has a bigger role to play as the glue across functions, the challenger of old assumptions, and the function that helps organizations stay human while moving faster. 🎓 In this episode, Lisa discusses: Why leaders should focus on outcomes, not busy workHow values help teams make better decisions during changeWhy human-forward AI matters more than technology-first transformationHow HR can become the glue that connects functions around business problemsWhy curiosity, courage, and asking better questions may become the real future skills 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  5. Jul 6

    How to Build a Skills Strategy That Survives the AI Era

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Ciara Harrington (Barry), Chief People Officer at Skillsoft, to unpack why the shift from jobs to skills is finally becoming real. Ciara explains why HR can no longer rely only on job architecture, job descriptions, and traditional role design. As AI agents enter the workforce, leaders need to think differently about the unit of work, what skills are needed, and whether that work should be done by a human, an agent, or a combination of both. Most importantly, Ciara shares how Skillsoft is making skills practical inside the business, from leadership skills and hiring decisions, to nine-box talent reviews, performance conversations, AI adoption, and helping leaders move faster without waiting for the perfect system. 🎓 In this episode, Ciara discusses: How to think about the unit of work, not just the job titleThe five leadership skills Skillsoft is prioritizing during transformationWhy skills are becoming the foundation for human and AI work designWhy leaders need to stop waiting for the perfect skills model before startingHow Skillsoft is embedding skills into hiring, talent reviews, and leadership decisions 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, 365 Talents Download the free toolkit and get your 2026 skills strategy moving faster → https://365talents.com/en/lp/hr-skills-strategy-toolkit/?utm_source=hr_leaders&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=july_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Jun 24

    How to Rebrand the Industries Everyone Gets Wrong

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Björn Axelsson, EVP and CHRO at Sandvik, to unpack how one of Sweden’s largest industrial technology companies is changing the way people think about mining, manufacturing, AI, sustainability, and future talent. Björn explains why mining is one of the most misunderstood industries in the talent market. Many people still picture it as old-fashioned, unsafe, or disconnected from the future, when in reality Sandvik has been working with autonomous vehicles, connected fleets, electrified equipment, digital mining, software, and AI-powered solutions for years. Most importantly, Björn shares how Sandvik is building a future-ready workforce by investing in STEM talent, early careers, mining academies, global mobility, employee-led storytelling, AI adoption, and local communities, all while helping customers access the minerals needed for the green transition. 🎓 In this episode, Björn discusses: Why mining is one of the most misunderstood career paths for young talentWhy employee-led storytelling is helping show the real future of industrial workHow Sandvik uses autonomous vehicles, electrification, and AI across its businessHow Sandvik builds talent through 15 mining academies, graduate programs, and leadership pathwaysWhy STEM talent becomes more interested in mining when they understand its role in the green transition 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Jun 22

    How to Build an HR Tech Stack Employees Actually Use

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring conversation with Arun Serikar, VP, HR Technology, Digital Platforms & AI Innovation, Corp Functions at Schneider Electric, to unpack what it really takes to simplify HR technology, scale AI, and build a better employee experience across a global enterprise. Arun shares how Schneider Electric went from 545 HR applications to 303, reducing tech debt, breaking regional silos, and building stronger governance around the tools, data, and platforms used across the business. He explains why employees are not looking for the “best system”, they are looking for fewer systems that actually work together. Most importantly, Arun breaks down how Schneider Electric is using AI to move HR from a back-office function to an intelligence layer for the enterprise, from internal chatbots and ticket reduction, to performance review AI assistance, agentic workflows, and a future where employees can complete tasks without jumping between systems. 🎓 In this episode, Arun discusses: Why employees want fewer systems, not more “best-in-class” toolsHow AI is reducing HR tickets and improving employee service at scaleWhy Schneider Electric reduced its HR tech stack from 545 applications to 303Why governance, data quality, and integration matter more than buying more toolsHow agentic AI could reshape HR workflows, manager support, and employee experience 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  8. Jun 19

    How to Make Culture Your Biggest Competitive Advantage

    In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Marcus Collins, Best-Selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Professor at University of Michigan - Stephen M. Ross School of Business, to unpack why culture is the most powerful force shaping human behavior, inside and outside organizations. Marcus explains why most companies misunderstand culture by reducing it to slogans, rituals, values, or “how we do things around here.” In reality, culture starts with how people think, what they believe, how they make meaning, and what behaviors those shared beliefs produce. Most importantly, he reveals why the future of work will not be won by technology alone. It will be won by organizations that understand the culture of work, align the front stage and backstage of the business, and build environments where people are truly connected to the beliefs, behaviors, and conviction behind the work. 🎓 In this episode, Marcus discusses: Why purpose is weaker than convictionHow beliefs shape behaviors inside organizationsWhy culture is more than “how we do things around here”Why the future of work will be cultural, not just technologicalHow companies accidentally confuse data with real human understanding 🙏 Thank you to our series partner, Arist Meet the end-to-end AI agent for enablement that finds talent gaps, builds personalized interventions, and delivers learning directly in the flow of work → https://arist.com/resources/webinars/agent?utm_source=hr_leaders_podcast&utm_medium=sponsored&utm_campaign=hr_leaders_podcast_cr_june_2026 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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4.7
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About

Join host Chris Rainey on the HR Leaders Podcast, where he sits down with top Chief People Officers, CHROs, and leading HR experts to uncover the strategies, trends, and insights shaping the future of human resources. Each episode dives into best practices in people management, leadership challenges, and transformative HR innovations that impact both business success and society at large. Whether you're an HR professional or simply passionate about modern workplace strategies, this podcast delivers expert advice, real-world experiences, and the latest trends in HR, making it your go-to resource for all things human resources.

Information

  • Creator
    Chris Rainey
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    859
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    HR Leaders

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