The TechWolf Podcast

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

    12/03/2025

    "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
  2. “AI Could Turn White-Collar Work Into the New Assembly Line.” | Former IBM CHRO Diane Gherson on the Future of HR (LIVE from Workday Rising)

    11/25/2025

    “AI Could Turn White-Collar Work Into the New Assembly Line.” | Former IBM CHRO Diane Gherson on the Future of HR (LIVE from Workday Rising)

    In this episode of the TechWolf Podcast, Julius Schelstraete sits down with Diane Gherson, former CHRO of IBM and current independent director at TechWolf. From her vantage point as one of the most influential HR leaders of the past decade, Diane shares a candid, strategic, and urgent message for HR executives navigating AI, workforce intelligence, and the shift to skills-based organizations. Diane recounts IBM’s pioneering journey toward AI-inferred skills and internal mobility, explains why today’s moment mirrors the historic shift triggered by Frederick Winslow Taylor, and warns that without intentional leadership, AI could push organizations toward a dehumanized, assembly-line model of white-collar work. This episode offers clarity, challenge, and concrete direction for any leader shaping the future of talent. 00:08 — Welcome + introducing Diane Gherson 02:00 — Uniquely human skills vs. durable skills: what truly matters 05:20 — IBM’s journey to AI-inferred skills and internal mobility 09:45 — Why Diane joined the TechWolf board 12:10 — The “Frederick Winslow Taylor moment”: history repeats with AI 17:00 — The rise of AI-serving jobs (annotators, auditors, trainers) 20:30 — HR’s urgent role: redesigning work before AI redesigns it 23:45 — Reality check: entry-level roles down 50% since 2019 26:00 — How HR can zoom out and align with business value creation 29:20 — Skills as a board-level metric: assessing workforce caliber 33:00 — How Diane keeps up with AI and HR trends (and who she follows) 35:10 — Diane’s question for the next guest, Lisa Brockman Key Takeaways Skills ≠ the whole story — durable human capabilities like context-setting, situational awareness, and organizational intuition remain irreplaceable. IBM’s early skill-based model proved the value: AI-inferred skills fueled mobility, training, and strategic workforce planning long before the market caught up. We’re entering a “Frederick Winslow Taylor moment” — AI could standardize white-collar work the way scientific management standardized the assembly line. HR must lead system-level redesign — not just productivity gains, but sustainable talent ecosystems, career pathways, and future leadership pipelines. Entry-level talent is already under pressure — openings are at 50% of 2019 levels; HR must address this before long-term capability erodes. Boards now expect clarity on “caliber of workforce” — skills data is becoming a board-level strategic metric.

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

    10/23/2025

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

    09/29/2025

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

    09/12/2025

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

    09/11/2025

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

    07/30/2025

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

    06/30/2025

    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
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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
    2K
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TechWolf
  • Show Website
    The TechWolf Podcast

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