Épisodes

  • David Noe - Improving Employee Experience Without Burning Out

    David Noe - Improving Employee Experience Without Burning Out
    Sep 4 2025
    In this episode, we welcome David Noe, host of the Speakeasy HR podcast and a fellow member of the WRKdefined podcast network. David Noe explains how HR leaders and managers can prioritize employee experience (EX) initiatives, even when everything feels urgent. We discuss how to improve EX without adding to already heavy workloads; the importance of effective manager training; and which small, simple changes—like a well-timed "thank you"—can have the biggest impact on employee satisfaction and morale. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, David! Today’s Topic: Prioritizing Employee Experience Without Burning Out [8:27] What employee experience initiatives should be prioritized when everything is urgent? Focus on the moments that matter most, like onboarding and manager relationships. Identify employee pain points through feedback and take small steps to fix them. [15:08] How can you improve employee experience without adding to the workload? The importance of properly training new managers instead of assuming they have the necessary skills. Using technology and data to help managers have more structured and supportive conversations with their teams. [23:29] What small changes create the biggest impact on employee satisfaction? The power of recognition, from a simple, unexpected "thank you" to a public shout-out. Fostering clear communication from leadership and respecting employees' time by eliminating unnecessary meetings. Taking the time to understand the unique motivations of all employees, from recent graduates to those nearing retirement. [31:39] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “A simple thank you goes a long way for some people, and it really can dramatically change the morale of that person.”
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    33 min
  • Katherine Jones - The Hidden Costs of AI in HR

    Katherine Jones - The Hidden Costs of AI in HR
    Aug 28 2025
    Market Analyst Dr. Katherine Marie Jones joins us this episode to discuss the pervasive nature of artificial intelligence in the modern world of business. We explore how AI is more than just office automation—it's a force reshaping industries, creating new jobs while making others obsolete, and presenting HR with the critical challenge of upskilling or reskilling the workforce. Katherine also sheds light on the often-overlooked environmental and economic costs of AI, from massive power consumption to its inflationary potential. [0:00] Introduction • Welcome, Katherine! • Today’s Topic: The Pervasive Nature of AI and Its Impact on HR [8:22] Has AI Gotten to Where It’s Touched Every Aspect of Business? • How AI has evolved from a niche topic to an inescapable part of every industry. • Why the fear of AI taking jobs is a misunderstanding of how the workforce will be reshuffled, not replaced. [23:30] What is HR's Role in Preparing for an AI-Driven Future? • The critical need for upskilling and reskilling the workforce to manage and oversee new AI technologies. • Engage in long-term, strategic workforce planning instead of focusing only on the next quarter. • Planning for the improbable and how companies can prepare for drastic but possible shifts in the global landscape. [29:57] What are the Hidden Costs of Artificial Intelligence? • The immense environmental cost of new AI technology and data centers. • How major tech companies are influencing energy costs for everyone. • Why HR leaders should be aware of the tangible costs behind the AI tools their organizations use. [37:53] Closing • Thanks for listening!
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    41 min
  • Sean Luitjens - Navigating the Mass Confusion in Compensation Today

    Sean Luitjens - Navigating the Mass Confusion in Compensation Today
    Aug 14 2025
    In this episode, we welcome back Sean Luitjens, VP of Product Strategy and Partnerships at Salary.com. Drawing from his recent conversations with over 20 WorldatWork affiliates, Sean shares his insights on the most pressing challenges and consistent messages from compensation practitioners on the front lines. He also unpacks the “mass confusion” caused by data overload and new compliance demands, the strategic allocation of limited budgets, and future of merit increases. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Sean! Today’s Topic: The Consistent Messages from WorldatWork [5:07] What are the most consistent messages you've heard from WorldatWork affiliates? Practitioners are facing “mass confusion” from the sheer volume of data, technology options, and compliance requirements. Despite increased demands, compensation budgets and headcount have not grown. [17:47] Where are compensation departments focusing their time and budgets? Technology now allows for more sophisticated segmentation and pay philosophy execution than was possible with Excel. The role of the compensation professional has expanded to include communications, as transparency makes it critical to explain the “why” behind pay decisions. [28:17] Are merit increases going away? The effectiveness of traditional merit increases vs. paying for the role and offering performance-based bonuses that are not added to base pay. The practical challenges of any model, whether it’s merit-based or role-based, often come down to inconsistent management and lack of buy-in. [34:36] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “We don’t always put ourselves in the seats of the [compensation] practitioner . . . There’s so much information coming at them from data, and the one thing that seems to not have changed in the comp budget.”
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    37 min
  • Neil Thompson - Why Your Best Tech Talent Needs Better Speaking Skills

    Neil Thompson - Why Your Best Tech Talent Needs Better Speaking Skills
    Aug 7 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Neil Thompson, founder of Teach the Geek, to discuss the critical need for developing speaker training programs for technical staff within an organization. Neil shares his personal story of struggling with public speaking as an engineer and how it inspired him to help other technical professionals improve their communication skills. He breaks down the common challenges technical experts face when presenting to non-technical audiences and offers practical strategies HR departments can implement to foster better communication across the organization. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Neil! Today’s Topic: Developing Speaker Training Programs for Technical Staff [6:59] Why is it so important for technical staff to be strong public speakers? How a lack of communication skills can lead to being overlooked for promotions and raises. The benefit of having the person with the expertise communicate it directly, rather than risk information getting lost in translation. [13:33] What are the biggest challenges for technical people presenting to non-technical audiences? The importance of remembering what it was like before becoming a technical expert and tailoring the presentation accordingly. The challenge of making assumptions about what the audience already knows. Strategies for understanding the audience before delivering a presentation. [20:32] What role can HR play in developing presentation and communication skills for technical staff? Involving technical staff in the creation of the training or presentation to ensure it meets their needs. Using feedback questionnaires to measure the effectiveness and improvement of the training over time. [28:52] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “A lot of times, technical people, we think that us being excellent at our jobs is good enough, and unfortunately, that's not the case. If you're not good at advocating for yourself, you're not good at communicating your worth to an organization, you get overlooked.”
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    32 min
  • Prem Kumar - A New Era of AI-Powered Recruiting

    Prem Kumar - A New Era of AI-Powered Recruiting
    Jul 31 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Prem Kumar, the CEO and co-founder of Humanly, an AI-powered hiring platform. We discuss how AI is reshaping the world of recruiting by improving speed, enhancing the candidate experience, and allowing for greater scalability without losing the essential human touch. Prem also discusses the importance of building trust with candidates through empathetic AI interactions, and provides real-world examples of how companies are using these new tools to make their hiring processes more efficient and effective. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Prem! Today’s Topic: How AI is Reshaping Recruiting [8:31] How is AI helping recruiters balance speed and candidate experience? AI can make bad processes happen faster just as easily as it can good ones; it's not a replacement for a sound strategy. The role of the recruiter will evolve into one of orchestration, strategically deciding where to implement AI in the hiring workflow. [16:10] How can you build an AI that earns candidate trust? Earning trust is about providing immediate value and setting clear expectations. The goal is not to trick a candidate into thinking an AI is human, but to be transparent about its role in assisting them. [24:57] What are some real-world examples of AI improving hiring efficiency? For AI to be effective, it must be integrated directly into a company’s primary workflow, such as its Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Chat agents are now handling candidate intake, answering questions, and initial screening. Companies are using AI to re-engage with the vast pools of candidates they already have in their databases. [35:23] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “AI, like any technology, has the ability to make this happen faster, more efficiently, and at a higher quality; but it also has the ability to make bad things happen faster, more efficiently bad, and at a higher quality of bad. It isn’t a way of getting around sound process.”
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    37 min
  • Carlee Wolfe - Balancing AI and Humanity in Leadership Development

    Carlee Wolfe - Balancing AI and Humanity in Leadership Development
    Jul 24 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Carlee Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Leadership Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels. We discuss how AI is reshaping leadership, growth, and coaching in the workplace. Carlee also explores the shift from generalized feedback to personalized, data-driven insights, and the importance of balancing AI tools with genuine human connection and empathy. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Carlee! Today’s Topic: How AI is Redefining Leadership and Growth [6:13] How is AI Changing People Analytics and What Does It Mean for Leaders? Parallels between AI-powered customer personalization and its potential to tailor employee development. By handling data analysis, AI frees up time for leaders to focus on high-value, human-centric tasks like coaching and mentoring. [18:05] How can Insights on Skills, Feedback, and Careers Help People Move Toward More Intentionality? AI creates the opportunity to democratize development tools, making them accessible to employees at all levels, not just senior leadership. The ethics of programming AI with empathy versus fostering it as a critical human leadership skill. [27:06] What Does It Look Like When We Pair Development With Insightful, Data-Driven, and Personalized Real-Time Coaching? AI coaching tools can help employees identify blind spots in their communication and daily work. The ideal approach is using AI tools for curating content and insights while relying on human coaches for connection, reflection, and building relationships. [34:03] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “Oftentimes [development tools] are just accessible [at] senior leadership levels. But now I think the question is like, can [AI] democratize that?”
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    37 min
  • Stan Suchkov - How AI is Transforming the L&D Sphere

    Stan Suchkov - How AI is Transforming the L&D Sphere
    Jul 17 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Stan Suchkov, Founder and CEO of Evolve, a next-gen learning platform. We discuss the transformative impact AI could have on the L&D sphere and explore the new opportunities generative AI created for everything from onboarding to employee assessments. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Stan! Today’s Topic: How AI is Transforming the HR and L&D Sphere [4:11] What New Opportunities has the Rise of AI Brought to L&D? How AI agents can autonomously generate courses, personalized employee training, and automate assessments. Making sure AI agent are successfully integrated into existing workflows. [13:32] What Potential do AI Agents Hold for the Workplace? Viewing AI as a tool for human augmentation, not human replacement, making jobs more efficient rather than eliminating them. How AI agents can gather and analyze data from various systems (like a CRM) to help HR measure the impact and ROI of training programs. [21:21] How can HR Overcome the Barriers to AI Adoption? Focusing on low-hanging fruit, like creating personalized learning plans, to prove ROI. The challenge of adoption is often a lack of awareness; many in HR don't yet know what is possible with modern AI. Reimagining work processes is necessary to move beyond outdated, paper-based workflows. [33:08] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “If any HR solution finds the opportunity to show ROI, they will become a unicorn in zero years, I have no doubt. It's a huge treasure every platform searches for.”
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    35 min
  • Natalie Tincher - Fostering Inclusion Through a Workplace Dress Code

    Natalie Tincher - Fostering Inclusion Through a Workplace Dress Code
    Jul 10 2025
    In this episode, we welcome Natalie Tincher, Founder of BU Style & Principal Style Strategist. We unpack the often-overlooked intersection of personal style, workplace culture, and inclusion. Natalie shares insights on how employee authenticity and appearance impact confidence and connection, how the shift to hybrid work is redefining professional norms, and how HR leaders can balance dress code policies with generational expectations and DEI commitments. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Natalie! Today’s Topic: The impact of dress guidelines on workplace authenticity and inclusion. [5:55] The Impact of Personal Style on Employee Confidence and Connection How others perceive style, even if it’s not a personal priority. Distinguishing between expression and perceived “work” norms. [14:32] How Hybrid Work is Redefining Professional Dress Guidelines How dress expectations have evolved since the pandemic. The challenge for those accustomed to more rigid dress codes. [22:35] HR’s Role in Balancing Dress Policy, DEI, and Generational Expectations The importance of open conversations about dress codes. Supporting employee self-expression while respecting workplace values. Finding ways for employees to bring more of their full selves to work. [31:29] Closing Thanks for listening! To schedule a meeting with us: https://salary.com/hrdlconsulting For more HR Data Labs®, enjoy the HR Data Labs Brown Bag Lunch Hours every Friday at 2:00PM-2:30PM EST. Check it out here: https://hrdatalabs.com/brown-bag-lunch/ Produced by Affogato Media
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    33 min