The Workspan Podcast WorldatWork Podcast

We’re joined by the perfect person to demystify AI, machine learning and people analytics: Margret Bjarnadottir, Associate Professor of Management Science and Statistics, at the University of Maryland. Margret gives us a sneak preview of her forthcoming session at WorldatWork’s Total Rewards show in San Diego this coming June: from the explosive growth in the use of people analytics tools to how to guard against machine learning bias. Fascinating stuff.  

WorldatWork’s Liz Supinski joins us to discuss the just-published 2022 Year in Review: Inventory of Total Rewards Programs and Practices. Liz shares the most significant changes from last year, findings that most surprised her, among other fascinating tidbits, trends and insights she and her crack team unearthed. Bonus chat on Liz’s latest ambitious DIY project – not quite as impressive as the plane (yes, we said plane) that she and her husband built several years ago, but still, pretty pretty pretty impressive. 

Gregory Milano, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Partner of Fortuna, and his colleague Riley Whately, who leads Fortuna's research and advisory work, join us to discuss the growth of intangible investments and the challenges/opportunities for human resource managers trying to drive value in their organizations. 

Kathleen Schulz, Gallagher’s Global Innovation Leader for Organizational Wellbeing, makes her third appearance on the pod. Kathleen discusses Gallagher’s 2022 Benefit Strategy and Benchmarking Survey, and touches on an array of timely topics: what  organizations can do to alleviate the issues that can compromise an employee’s ability to perform, surefire signs of a toxic workforce, the need for companies to have a wellbeing strategy (23.8% of respondents in their survey didn’t), and what organizations can do to make wellbeing initiatives more visible and utilized. 

We are joined by Dr. Atul Mitra, Department Head & Professor of Management, Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company at the University of Northern Iowa - College of Business. Professor Mitra discusses his fascinating and insightful article (membership required) in the Journal of Total Rewards that compares the multiple drivers (digital infrastructure, culture, union density, customer expectations, etc.) that influence gig work in India and the U.S. 

John Bremen, managing director and chief innovation and acceleration officer at Willis Towers Watson, talks about companies making a public stand on social and political matters: how to successfully navigate the various competing interests while creating more loyal employees and customers.