HR Data Labs

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Unlock the future of HR, today with the HR Data Labs podcast! Dive into transformative insights, expert interviews, and cutting-edge practices that empower organizations to harness their workforce’s potential. Join us for engaging discussions that will inspire you to innovate, strategize, and lead with confidence! Tune in now!

  1. 8h ago

    The State of HR Technology: Lessons from 2026 and Predictions for 2027

    The host catches up with Teri, an old friend, at HR Technology in Las Vegas. They look back at 2026 and ahead to 2027 for HR technology and AI. Teri says nearly everyone is using AI now, but companies still aren't seeing the bottom-line results. They also discuss rising AI costs, how hard it is to measure return on investment, and whether AI will give us more free time or just more work.  Key topics and takeaways  Teri's new podcast, The Pivot Effect. It's aimed at individuals (employees and candidates), not HR professionals. Guests share their career pivots and the skills they picked up along the way.  Growing the research. Teri is working to grow Sapien Insights' research on the HR technology market. People are keen to contribute data because they want the findings back.  2026 vs. 2025. Teri says it felt like "a lot of the same," with layoffs announcements and AI hype. The difference is that everyone now uses AI in some way, where companies once banned tools like ChatGPT.  Results are lagging. Organizations are building processes to automate more, but Teri says they aren't yet seeing the bottom-line impact. The host adds that prompting skill, choosing the right models and applications, and the AI learning how you work all make a difference.  AI is expensive.  Both speakers say tokens add up. The host describes monthly bills approaching $10,000, with one prompt costing about $13 once usage went over the plan.  The host's team bought two NVIDIA DGX Spark machines (about $5,000 each) to build its own retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) system on internal data.  Teri's team is exploring internal models and has multiple AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot and Perplexity) compete on the same task.  Both note that memory and computing hardware prices have jumped, including Mac Minis and Mac Studios.  Predictions for 2027.  Teri expects efficiency gains to become real, and new jobs to appear that look and feel different. She doesn't believe jobs will "go and never come back."  She compares this to farming, where 75–90% of people worked in agriculture in the 1850s and only one or two percent do today.  She thinks 2027 may not bring a dramatic change, but "the wheels are turning."  Measuring ROI. Teri says nobody has figured out how to measure the return on AI in knowledge work. It's easier in industries with measurable output.  Robotics. Teri expects robotics to come back, especially for dangerous jobs, though it will be more expensive. The host notes manufacturing has used robots for decades.  Will AI give us time back? Both hoped AI would help them work smarter and improve wellness, but see it making people do more instead. They talk about the pressure of remote work and the benefit of breaks, such as a midday bike ride.  AI becoming everyday. Teri hopes we'll eventually stop calling it "AI" and it will just be part of life, like the phone. The host compares it to the arrival of the personal computer and notes that Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant have been around for about twelve years. He says consumer tools have raised expectations, so Apple, Google and Amazon are improving theirs.  Looking back next year. The host plans to revisit this year's predictions in 2027.  Resources and names mentioned  The Pivot Effect podcast (Teri's new show). Sapien Insights  Work Carousel: workcarousel.com/join (sponsor message)  Tools mentioned: ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, Perplexity, NVIDIA DGX Spark, Mac Mini, Mac Studio  Companies mentioned: Apple, Google, Amazon, Tesla  Event: HR Technology, Las Vegas  Fun fact  Early in her career, Teri worked at a cemetery. She drew plot maps for the gravediggers from the deed book, which was kept in pencil at the time. She calls it one of her early pivots.

    The State of HR Technology: Lessons from 2026 and Predictions for 2027

  2. 5d ago

    The $3,216 Line Item Nobody Tracks: What Conflict Data Reveals About How Organizations Distribute Power

    David talks with Dr. Robyn Short about a Workplace Peace Institute study on what conflict costs US workplaces: about $3,200 per employee per year. They cover why emotions can't be left at the door, how curiosity leads to compassion, and why trust is hard when roles are unclear and AI is changing work. Robyn argues that the most valuable skills now are deeply human ones.  Key topics and takeaways  What the Workplace Peace Institute does. It is a systems design and research firm. It helps leaders design workplace systems that give people access to their basic human needs and dignity.  The cost of conflict. The study counted the hours per week each employee spends navigating conflict and applied them to the median income of the average employee. Nobody puts conflict in the budget, even though leaders and HR can be certain it's coming.  Emotions at work. Robyn says we are "feeling creatures who think," so leaving emotions at the door is biologically impossible. Crying is a natural nervous-system response to stress and needs no apology.  Curiosity before compassion. Ask "What would have to happen for me to behave this way?" When someone's behavior seems out of proportion, "act as if" they are having a hard time. That lets you see it as not being about you.  Fear as a tool. Robyn says that when people are afraid of one another, they can't build the connection and collaboration that lead to systems change.  Trust amid uncertainty. She cites research that power reduces empathy, and Gallup research that a worker's manager is the most influential person in their working life. Build a real relationship with your manager, or manage up if they don't.  AI and your job. AI will replace some jobs and radically change others. Robyn's advice is "evolve or die": take responsibility for your own upskilling, and stay close to what your work exists to produce.  Being more human. Now that machines do much human work, the people who evolve will be those who lean into deeply human skills.  Resources and names mentioned  The Matriarch Effect by Dr. Robyn Short: www.TheMatriarchEffect.com  Workplace Peace Institute  Ken Cloak, one of Robyn's teachers  Margaret Wheatley, Who Do We Choose to Be?  Gallup research on managers' influence  Tracy Sponenberg, an HR friend of David's  Taylor Swift, whom Robyn calls a matriarchical leader  Sponsor: Work Carousel (workcarousel.com/join)

    The $3,216 Line Item Nobody Tracks: What Conflict Data Reveals About How Organizations Distribute Power

  3. Oct 22

    Architecting Resilience in a World of Constant Change

    David Turetsky talks with Nikki Stone, author of Architecting Resilience, about what it takes to build teams, leaders, and organizations that can handle relentless change without falling apart. Nikki shares how her work in startup and large holding-company environments shaped her thinking on resilience, communication, and the real skills managers need to lead humans well.  Key topics  Nikki Stone explains how Architecting Resilience came from decades of experience across startup and corporate environments, including leadership roles in ad tech and large holding companies.  In this episode, Nikki shares how advanced pattern recognition, especially as a neurodivergent leader, helped her spot repeatable structures behind successful teams and scalable organizations.  David and Nikki discuss why many strong individual contributors are promoted into people management without being equipped for the role.  They explore the importance of creating separate career paths for high-performing individual contributors who do not want to manage people.  Nikki recommends mental health first aid training for managers as a practical way to better support employees without trying to act as therapist or doctor.  The conversation examines how sandwich-generation realities, such as caregiving, parenting, divorce, and aging parents, affect employee performance and leadership needs.  David and Nikki dig into neurodiversity in the workplace and why leaders need to adapt communication styles for creatives, technologists, and other distinct working styles.  Nikki shares a Venn diagram method for identifying strengths, gaps, and bridge-building experiences when planning career growth.  They discuss how learning can happen through audio, books, lectures, social feeds, and intentionally reshaping what you consume to support your goals.  The episode closes with a strong case for replacing fear-based management with purpose-driven, human-centered leadership that improves retention and organizational resilience.  Timestamps  00:00 - Welcome to the podcast and introduction to Nikki Stone  00:58 - Nikki’s current work: author, founder, podcast host, and executive leader  03:01 - The unexpected nervous habit: dancing and movement as regulation  04:11 - Music as a tool for shifting mood, focus, and resilience  06:58 - Why Nikki wrote Architecting Resilience  07:19 - Early exposure to business through her mother’s meetings  08:08 - Pattern recognition as a superpower in scaling organizations  09:20 - Why scaling inside large organizations is an art form  10:31 - The IQ, EQ, and CQ framework in ad tech and team building  13:40 - Managers need better tools to lead resilient teams  14:30 - Why not everyone should be pushed into people leadership  15:27 - Mental health first aid as a leadership tool  16:26 - Leading people through life complexity, not just output  18:55 - Why neurodivergent talent matters in modern organizations  23:53 - A Venn diagram method for finding strengths and growth gaps  25:31 - Using bridge experiences like nonprofit board service to build skills  27:32 - Learning late, learning differently, and building from audio first  29:53 - Reshaping social algorithms to support curiosity and growth  31:34 - Everyone has deficits, including managers  33:13 - Leadership training must include values, guardrails, and human context  35:09 - Fear-based employment and why paycheck-only motivation is unsustainable  36:41 - AI gives averages, but humans provide context and excellence  38:02 - Replacing return-to-office fear with purposeful gathering  39:26 - Retention, soul, and the cost of losing institutional memory  40:08 - Friction is not the enemy - it can reveal billion-dollar ideas  41:48 - Closing thoughts and a shared interest in continuing the conversation  Key frameworks  IQ, EQ, CQ - Intelligence, emotional intelligence, and contextual intelligence as the mix needed for effective leadership and team performance.  Venn diagram career mapping - A way to compare current strengths with future-role requirements and identify bridge skills.  Gather with purpose - Nikki’s approach to intentional in-person team time focused on connection, learning, and shared context.  Friction as signal - Reframing recurring friction as an opportunity to identify and solve meaningful business problems.  Notable quotes  “There is no such thing as normal.”  “You are working with humans and the humans are the actual parts.”  “Friction is not something to be feared; it's something to be embraced.”

    Architecting Resilience in a World of Constant Change

  4. Oct 15

    HR technology in 2027: AI readiness, trust, and the data problem

    This episode looks at where HR technology is today and where it may be heading by 2027, with a focus on AI’s real impact on HR teams. David Turetsky is joined by Jay Polaki, CEO of HR Geckos, to unpack why so many organizations have access to AI tools but still lack the data, governance, and skills to use them well.We discuss the growing gap between AI enthusiasm and operational readiness, why HR is still unclear on its role in AI strategy, and why the conversation needs to shift from hype to use cases, trust, and measurable outcomes.  Key topics  Jay Polaki, CEO of HR Geckos, explains that HR Geckos is a people-centric co-pilot for HR operations, built by HR for HR.  The episode opens with a lighter note about Jay’s unexpected appearance on MTV during a Russell Peters event clip.  The central theme is that AI access is no longer the main problem — scaffolding is.  Jay shares findings from HR Geckos’ “AI Ready or Not” roadshow, based on conversations with about 55 HR and business leaders across multiple sessions.  Many organizations have AI tools, but data quality, governance, ownership, and funding remain unclear or incomplete.  David raises concerns about security risks, especially employees using consumer AI tools with sensitive HR and PII data.  The discussion highlights a split in AI maturity:   Some HR teams have no access and no training.  Others are forced to use AI with little or no education.  ROI is a major sticking point, with both speakers arguing that most organizations are measuring the wrong things or measuring too early.  Jay says the best way to deploy AI in HR is by starting with a specific use case, not a broad enterprise rollout.  HR service delivery and the HR service desk are identified as one of the most likely near-term AI investment areas.  The conversation repeatedly returns to trust, especially around governance, role clarity, and employee anxiety about job loss.  David and Jay agree that AI is more likely to augment workers than replace them, and that people who know how to use AI will outpace those who do not.  Jay argues that HR should stay central to reskilling, learning and development, recruiting, and re-engineering processes.  The episode ends with a strong warning against using AI for sensitive compliance work without human oversight.  Timestamps  (00:00) Opening the HR technology conversation with Jay Polaki (01:12) Jay introduces HR Geckos as a people-centric HR ops co-pilot (02:17) Jay’s unexpected MTV cameo and the Russell Peters story (04:42) Why 2026 feels chaotic for HR technology and AI (05:23) Roadshow findings from 55 HR and business leaders (06:21) AI access is widespread, but scaffolding is missing (07:47) Why data, ownership, and governance are still unresolved (09:18) Security concerns around employees using consumer AI tools (10:29) Two extremes of AI readiness in HR teams (11:26) Large organizations vs. smaller firms in AI adoption (12:23) Trust is the biggest barrier to AI deployment (13:14) Why AI desktop tools raise privacy and control concerns (14:11) Why AI was often used as a cost-cutting tool before HR was ready (15:22) Why ROI is hard to define for AI in HR (16:46) The real friction is data readiness and skills readiness (18:09) Why the best AI deployments start with a single use case (18:34) Why the HR service desk is a likely next AI investment (20:30) Start with why, then move to how (21:57) Why AI should be deployed in baby steps (22:56) Centralizing siloed HR data before scaling AI (24:21) Why leaders are unsure about HR’s role in AI strategy (26:08) Mixed views on HR’s AI future: curious, transformational, undefined (27:29) Where HR can lead: skills, learning, recruiting, and re-engineering (28:32) AI in talent management and the future of interviewing (29:30) Governance gaps, risk levels, and access controls (30:28) HR’s role in managing worker anxiety about AI (31:47) Trust and governance as urgent CEO, CHRO, and CTO issues (33:27) AI as a tool, not a replacement for people (34:04) Why the doomsday narrative is overstated (35:12) Why AI is still “pretty dumb” without human training (36:04) Augmented intelligence and human judgment in tandem (38:12) Why AI still cannot handle HR compliance on its own (39:12) Government scrutiny and accountability risks (39:50) Wrap-up and HR Tech conference frustrations for service providers  Notable quotes  “Technology should elevate people, not replace them.”  “We’ve solved the AI access issue — ownership, funding, data, governance, all of that is still in flux.”  “People who know how to use AI will replace people who don’t know how to use AI.”

    HR technology in 2027: AI readiness, trust, and the data problem

  5. Oct 8

    Build vs Buy in People Technology: AI, Guardrails, and the New Role of HR

    David Turetsky interviews Gabriella Garcia, COO and Chief People Officer at Warp, about how AI is reshaping the build versus buy decision in HR and people operations. They dig into why this question is changing now, what guardrails matter for sensitive data, and why people leaders need to take a more strategic role in technology decisions. Gabby shares how her engineering background informs her view of modern people tech, while David adds real-world context from years of hacking together internal systems. Together, they explore how AI lowers the barrier to building, but also raises new questions around governance, cost, and organizational design.  Key topics  In this episode, Gabby Garcia explains Warp’s mission as an AI native employee management platform handling payroll, benefits, state tax compliance, and HR systems for more than 1,200 customers.  David and Gabby compare today’s AI-enabled build culture with older eras of custom tooling, including early internal dashboards and Access database work.  Gabby says the build versus buy equation has changed because non-engineers are now more technical and because tools like Claude Code and Lovable reduce the activation energy for prototyping.  The conversation centers on the risk of rogue projects, especially when people teams handle PII, PHI, SSNs, birthdays, payroll data, and other sensitive information.  Gabby points to Shopify as an example of a company encouraging broad internal experimentation, while also surfacing the downside of AI slop, access issues, and repetitive low-value tools.  She argues for cultural guardrails, approval rules, and manager review processes rather than blanket bureaucracy.  The discussion shifts to the engineering function, where Gabby says engineers are increasingly becoming prompt-driven problem solvers and thought partners rather than manual code producers.  David and Gabby agree that this changes organizational DNA, especially when non-engineering teams can build internal tools, bots, and workflows that still need governance.  Gabby makes the case that people leaders, not just CIOs or CTOs, should lead AI adoption strategy because they own talent, enablement, growth, and role evolution.  The episode closes on token spend, cost control, and the need for finance and people teams to understand model selection, usage caps, and the accounting implications of AI spend.  Timestamps  00:00 - Introductions and Gabriella Garcia’s background at Warp 01:35 - From Colombia and Miami to MIT and engineering at Facebook, Apple, and Google 02:38 - What Warp does as an AI native employee management platform 03:38 - Fun fact: Gabby’s unusual sense of balance 05:28 - Why build versus buy is changing in HR and people tech 06:10 - More technical people are now building prototypes themselves 07:37 - Low-code and AI tools lower the barrier to entry 09:45 - Why PII, PHI, and compliance make people tech risky 10:11 - Shopify’s “build whatever you want” AI experiment 12:28 - How long old internal tool-building used to take 13:48 - Why innovation needs risk awareness, not reckless experimentation 14:40 - Borrowing engineering-style PR reviews and testing for people tools 16:44 - The future of engineering in an AI-native workplace 17:41 - Engineers, designers, and operators as prompt-based builders 18:10 - AI as a thought partner, chief of staff, and first-pass reviewer 19:38 - Internal tools can be pushed to managers, but customer-facing work still needs engineers 20:22 - How AI changes the DNA of an organization 22:17 - Why the people function should drive adoption strategy 23:11 - OpenAI’s people leadership and the future of every role 24:55 - Why technical depth in a CPO matters for AI transformation 26:14 - People teams have been implementing tech for years, but AI is different 27:39 - Technology adoption takes time, and the AI curve is still early 28:45 - Bad HR data and weak products still block mobile adoption 29:11 - Skipping the messy middle of legacy systems in emerging markets 30:35 - How chat-based tools and image-based workflows improve accessibility 32:14 - Serving small businesses and frontline teams with practical AI 33:40 - AI may make customization accessible beyond large enterprises 34:38 - Token costs, model selection, and the ROI of AI tools 35:55 - One sales rep’s token bill as a cautionary tale 37:18 - Education gaps around model choice, data access, and rollout strategy 38:13 - Token spend as a new cost per employee problem 39:09 - Why accounting and capitalization rules matter for AI spend 40:09 - Tracking utilization and setting token caps 41:00 - Hardware choices, open source models, and reducing model spend 42:11 - A future conversation on tokenomics and people leader skills 43:08 - Moving from experimentation to pragmatic implementation 44:24 - Why every organization needs its own AI point of view  Notable quotes  “The people function is in service of the people.”  “There are ways in which we can absorb and implement a lot of the learning from other organizations.”  “My recommendations are likely not a great fit for your business.”

    Build vs Buy in People Technology: AI, Guardrails, and the New Role of HR

  6. Oct 2

    What We Learned from the National Association of Counties Annual Conference

    David Turetsky speaks with IBEJesus Prince from HR Data Labs Consulting about their time at the NACO conference and what stood out most. The conversation is short but clear: the event brought together people who were focused on finding practical solutions, and even attendees outside the immediate decision-making circle were willing to help connect the dots.  Key topics  In this episode, David Turetsky introduces the conversation from the HR Data Labs Podcast and frames it around the team’s experience at the NACO conference.  IBEJesus Prince, a principal consultant at HR Data Labs Consulting, shares a broad conference takeaway: the people at NACO were genuinely solution-driven.  A major theme is the value of openness at the conference — even people who were not directly responsible for making decisions still cared about moving a solution forward.  The guest notes that asking questions often led to the right person, which made the event feel collaborative rather than blocked by hierarchy.  Commissioners and other officials were mentioned as people the team met, reinforcing that the event brought together stakeholders with influence and interest.  The conversation highlights a contrast between environments where non-experts become blockers and this conference, where people helped route questions and support progress.  IBEJesus emphasizes that the organization and the people they met left a strong positive impression.  The episode closes, suggesting this was a brief conference check-in rather than a full-length interview.  Timestamps  00:00 - Testing the audio and getting set up 01:41 - David introduces the HR Data Labs Podcast and the guest 01:57 - Why the NACO conference was the focus of the conversation 02:08 - A quick personal icebreaker before the main topic 03:41 - First conference takeaway: people were solution-driven 04:06 - Commissioners and officials were open to connecting people to answers   04:33 - Why the event felt collaborative instead of blocked by hierarchy 04:52 - The conversation wraps up early

    What We Learned from the National Association of Counties Annual Conference

  7. Sep 24

    Sushma Tripathi - The State of HCM: How HR Leaders are Modernizing People, Process and Technology in an AI- Enabled World

    David Turetsky and Sushma Tripathi discuss where human capital management is headed, why HR modernization is harder than simply adding new software, and what leaders need to fix first. Sushma brings more than 25 years of HCM strategy experience across product, operations, staffing software, and advisory work, so the conversation stays grounded in what organizations are actually facing.In this episode, they focus on the shift from transactional HR to AI-enabled operations, the burden of process and technology debt, and why workforce management is becoming the backbone of modern HR transformation.  Key topics  Sushma Tripathi’s background spans HR, benefits, actuarial work, product development, COO and CPO roles, and strategic advisory work, giving her a broad view of HCM change.  The industry is moving from transactional HR to more intelligent, integrated, AI-enabled operations.  Many organizations are stuck with fragmented processes, legacy systems, unclear ownership, and outdated configurations that no longer match current needs.  Process debt and technology debt are major blockers, especially when old workflows and old system settings keep surviving years of change.  Decision rights confusion is a recurring issue - HR, operations, finance, and IT often all touch the same workflows without clear ownership.  AI readiness is limited by data quality, governance, and change management, not by the AI tools themselves.  Workforce management is emerging as the anchor for operational excellence, especially around scheduling, labor models, compliance, productivity, and outcomes.  Employee self-service and manager self-service still matter, but users now expect experiences that feel as simple and intuitive as consumer apps.  Many organizations are asking whether to buy new technology or improve what they already have first.  Sushma emphasizes that HR is becoming a strategic operations partner, not just a people-management function.  Timestamps  00:32 - Welcome to the HR Data Labs podcast and introduction to the conversation 01:44 - Sushma Tripathi’s 25-plus years in HCM strategy and leadership 03:47 - A personal story about hiking and the challenge of Angels Landing 06:25 - Transitioning into the real topic: HCM modernization and AI 07:47 - Why HR is moving from transactional work to intelligent, AI-enabled operations 09:59 - Process debt and technology debt are slowing organizations down 11:57 - Why employee and manager self-service still matters 14:52 - Why maturity level changes the pace of modernization 16:52 - Where organizations should start when modernization feels overwhelming 18:29 - How AI should fit into end-to-end workflows, not just isolated tasks 19:24 - Why governance and data configuration are still foundational 21:25 - Why every organization needs continuous operating-model revision 22:33 - Cleaning, combining, and using data before expecting better outcomes 23:03 - Baby steps, outside help, and why AI tools do not fix broken processes 25:39 - Why workforce management is the biggest concern going forward 26:02 - What workforce management includes beyond time tracking 27:00 - Compliance, fines, penalties, and brand risk in workforce management 28:28 - Closing thoughts and goodbye  Notable quotes  “Data quality, not AI, is actually the biggest barrier.”  “Because just because you have a hammer, everything is not a nail.”  “You can't just go into Chat GPT and say fix me.”

    Sushma Tripathi - The State of HCM: How HR Leaders are Modernizing People, Process and Technology in an AI- Enabled World

  8. Sep 17

    Why HR Needs Disruption

    Jennifer McClure joins David Turetsky to unpack how her career in HR, executive search, speaking, and coaching led to Disrupt HR. The conversation focuses on why HR gets blamed for business problems, how leaders can stop using HR as a scapegoat, and why true disruption means rethinking both broken processes and the ones that only seem fine.  Jennifer McClure shares a practical case for moving HR beyond administration and into real business influence, while David Turetsky pushes on the everyday realities of performance management, remote work, compensation, and accountability.    Key topics  In this episode, Jennifer traces her path from nearly 20 years in corporate HR leadership to executive search, then into speaking, coaching, and launching Unbridled Talent.  She explains how Disrupt HR began as a way to surface ideas from people who may not have a speaker reel or prior speaking experience but still have something meaningful to say about the future of work.  Jennifer argues that HR was originally built as an administrative function, but the profession has evolved and now has a chance to influence business strategy far more directly.  She challenges the old “seat at the table” mindset and says the real issue is not seating, but whether HR leaders actually understand the business and how people drive results.  David and Jennifer discuss how HR often becomes the dumping ground for decisions leaders do not want to own, especially around performance management, compensation, culture, and employee relations.  Jennifer emphasizes that HR should not automatically say “no” and take the blame. Instead, managers should be required to make the case and own their decisions.  The conversation uses examples from remote work and compensation to show how easily leaders pass responsibility to HR without first having the difficult conversation themselves.  Jennifer explains that Disrupt HR is not just about fixing broken systems. It also asks whether working processes could be simpler, faster, more human, or more useful.  She compares workplace experiences to consumer experiences, like Netflix recommendations, Amazon suggestions, and frustrating phone trees, to show how people expect better design at work.  David and Jennifer talk about the value of short-form ideas, different audience reactions, and why a talk or process does not need to please everyone to be worthwhile.  Jennifer closes by encouraging listeners to disrupt themselves, their organizations, and even processes that appear to be working well, because innovation often starts with a better question.    Timestamps  00:00 - Intro to Jennifer McClure and the HR Data Labs conversation  01:10 - From corporate HR leadership to executive search and speaking  03:34 - Why Unbridled Talent got its name and what Jennifer does now  04:37 - Executive coaching, speaking, and the origins of Disrupt HR  05:20 - A fun fact: farming, horses, and Tennessee roots  07:08 - Why the topic of HR disruption matters right now  08:12 - Why HR has been seen as ripe for disruption  09:23 - From administrative personnel work to “seat at the table”  10:20 - What “being strategic” in HR really means  11:06 - Talent strategy and business strategy should be integrated  12:04 - The real opportunity for HR influence and business impact  13:32 - Why some leaders still only want transactional HR  14:19 - Business leaders blaming HR for problems they do not want to own  16:10 - Reframing “HR always says no” into manager accountability  17:45 - A real example of remote work, blame, and chain-of-command confusion  19:48 - Compensation example: when a late request cannot be approved     21:27 - How HR can remove itself as the scapegoat and push ownership back up  23:08 - What Disrupt HR actually is and how the format works  24:30 - Bringing in voices from outside HR to improve work  25:57 - Disruption is not only for broken things  26:46 - Looking at consumer experiences to redesign workplace processes  28:32 - Why outdated phone trees and apply processes frustrate people  29:05 - The importance of asking why a process exists in the first place  30:42 - Over 11,000 five-minute Disrupt HR talks and why the format works  31:55 - Why not every presentation lands with every person  33:47 - Preparing a keynote and accepting mixed audience feedback  35:02 - Why short, focused presentations fit how people consume information now  36:39 - Where to learn more about Disrupt HR and why disagreement matters  37:07 - Laurie Ruettimann, strong opinions, and learning from disagreement  38:32 - What listeners should take from short talks and different viewpoints  40:20 - Final thoughts on disrupting work, organizations, and yourself    Notable quotes  “I think HR gets blamed for a lot.”  "I challenge you to disrupt yourself, your organization, your people.”  “This is the definition of innovation.”    Action items  Ask why a process exists before assuming it should stay the same.  If a manager wants to take action, ask them to own the decision and make the case.  Look for one process that is broken and one that seems fine but could be better.  Compare your workplace experience to the consumer experience you expect outside work.  Revisit assumptions about HR being the default owner of every uncomfortable business problem.

    Why HR Needs Disruption
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About

Unlock the future of HR, today with the HR Data Labs podcast! Dive into transformative insights, expert interviews, and cutting-edge practices that empower organizations to harness their workforce’s potential. Join us for engaging discussions that will inspire you to innovate, strategize, and lead with confidence! Tune in now!

Information

  • Channel
    WRKdefined
  • Creator
    WRKdefined Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    295
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved by WRKdefined
  • Show Website
    HR Data Labs

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