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When AI Changes How Experience Is Built: Trust, Data, and the Future of WorkHost: Trish Steed Guest: Michele Bodda, Group President, Experian Housing, Verification Solutions and Employer Services at Experian Employer Services Summary On this episode of the HR Happy Hour, Trish Steed is joined by Michele Bodda of Experian Employer Services to explore how Experian is approaching some of the most consequential moments connecting employers, employees, consumers, and financial institutions. Michele shares how her nearly three decades at Experian have shaped her perspective on leadership, innovation, and the importance of staying curious throughout a career. She also explains why Experian entered the employer services market and how the company’s experience managing sensitive information and high-trust interactions translates into HR compliance, employment and income verification, tax credit management, and other employer services. The conversation also explores Experian’s expanded relationship with Workday, which adds more than 15 million payroll records from Workday’s network to Experian Verify and supports Experian’s continued expansion of its income and employment verification network. But the discussion goes well beyond technology and data. Michele and Trish examine what happens as AI and automation become embedded in processes once driven primarily by human expertise. As technology produces more insight and handles more routine work, organizations will have to think differently about how people—particularly those early in their careers—develop the knowledge, judgment, and experience needed to act on those insights. Throughout the conversation, one theme remains constant: trust. Whether someone is applying for a job, renting a home, securing a mortgage, or navigating an employment relationship, accurate, secure, and reliable information can have an enormous impact on the outcome. Topics include: The connection between employment verification, compliance, tax credits, and the broader employee experienceHow Experian’s expanded Workday relationship strengthens its verification networkWhy every employment or income verification represents a meaningful moment in someone’s lifeHow reliable data becomes even more important as organizations increase their use of AIThe challenge organizations face in deciding what comes next in their AI and technology journeysWhy developing human judgment and experience may become one of the most important workforce issues of the next several yearsHow trusted partners can help HR teams manage complex compliance requirements while keeping their focus on employees Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Employees recognized for milestones are three times more likely to believe their company actually cares about them. Three times. So why are companies so bad at it? The stale bagels. The branded swag. The audacity. Workhuman believes milestones deserve their moment. A space for the people who know you best — your actual work circle — to reflect on your journey, your wins, your impact. The inside jokes. The big moments. All of it. It's called Service Milestones. AI finds the right people. Automation handles the rest. And employees choose their own reward — from millions of options, curated just for them. Milestone like you mean it with Workhuman, a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Podcast. Find out more at workhuman.com.

The "Spooky" Side of Small Business Culture: Fixing Hidden Ghosts and Silos Before Year-End  Host: Sabrina Baker   Summary Cultural breakdowns in small businesses rarely start with a dramatic, headline-making crisis. They start as quiet friction points in the dark—ghosted feedback, zombie policies, and department silos—that everyone senses but nobody talks about out loud. Because of the close proximity in small businesses (1–500 employees), these "cultural ghosts" ripple through the workforce fast, eroding trust and setting up a wave of January resignations. In this episode of HR Connection, Sabrina Baker breaks down why small business leaders often default to silence and confrontation avoidance, sharing a jaw-dropping real client story of how conflict avoidance can backfire. Learn how to use neutral third-party focus groups, run quick 3-question pulse surveys, audit outdated handbook policies, and equip managers with feedback frameworks like COIN and Start/Stop/Continue to fix culture issues before year-end.   Topics include: Introduction: The "Spooky" Cultural MonstersWhy Halloween is the perfect metaphor for small business culture. Unpacking the three big monsters lurking in small companies: Ghosted Feedback Loops, Zombie Policies, and Silo Vampires.SECTION 1: Communication & Confrontation AvoidanceWhy small business leaders default to silence when news is uncertain or bad, and how information vacuums breed worst-case assumptions. Plus, a real-life cautionary client story about a demotion announced live during an all-hands meeting.SECTION 2: The Top 3 Focus Group ComplaintsUnpacking the three most common complaints heard during employee focus groups: constant changing of direction without context, uneven manager information cascading, and highly unrealistic expectations around scope and timeframe.SECTION 3: Survey Methodology & Third-Party TrustWhy small businesses are never too small for surveys, why employees open up to third-party facilitators faster than internal HR, and the 3 go-to pulse survey questions every small business should ask.SECTION 4: Zombie Policies & Departmental SilosHow to spot outdated handbook rules (from fax machine policies to punitive sick leave notes) and why Sales and Finance are the most severely siloed departments in small operations.SECTION 5: Tactical Manager Frameworks & Stay InterviewsStep-by-step coaching tools for managers: Using the COIN method (Context, Observation, Impact, Next Steps) and Start/Stop/Continue for feedback, plus 3 critical Stay Interview questions to ask in November.SECTION 6: Actionable Homework & Wrap-UpA 3-step action plan to conduct a cultural ghost hunt in your organization before the holiday slowdown.    Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.  Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

AI for Frontline Workers: Creating a Better Employee Experience  Hosts: Steve Boese Guest: Gretchen Alarcon, GVP/GM of HCM and Payroll at UKG   Summary On this episode of the HR Happy Hour, Steve Boese is joined by Gretchen Alarcon to explore how AI can help organizations create a better experience for frontline workers while also helping managers make smarter workforce decisions. Gretchen shares how UKG is approaching AI from both sides of the employee experience. For workers, that can mean making everyday tasks—like requesting time off, understanding a paycheck, accessing support, or navigating a leave of absence—faster and easier. For managers, AI can bring together information about skills, availability, overtime, scheduling, and workforce needs to help them make more informed decisions. The conversation also looks at the connection between schedule stability, skills, pay, and retention. For frontline employees, knowing when they will work and what they will earn matters. AI can help organizations create schedules that meet operational needs while considering the people behind those schedules. It can also connect employees with training and certifications that may lead to additional hours, greater earning potential, and new opportunities. Steve and Gretchen also discuss the role employers can play in supporting financial wellness, including greater pay transparency, earned wage access, and helping employees better understand the resources available to them. As organizations prepare for 2027, Gretchen offers a simple framework for thinking about the frontline workforce: find them, enable them, and keep them. That means finding people with the right skills, continuously developing the workforce with accessible learning, and creating an experience that gives employees the clarity and support they need to stay.   Topics include: How AI can simplify everyday HR interactions for frontline employeesWhy schedule stability can have a direct impact on employee retentionConnecting skills and certifications to hours, pay, and career opportunitiesFinancial wellness and support for employees living paycheck to paycheckPreparing frontline employees for an AI-enabled workplaceHow leaders should think about finding, enabling, and retaining frontline talent in 2027   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.  Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

Making Change Stick: How HR Leaders Build Trust, Alignment, and AdoptionHosts: Mervyn Dinnen Guest: Amanda Arrowsmith, Executive Director of People and Culture at the Royal British Legion   Summary In this episode of HR Means Business, Mervyn is joined by Amanda Arrowsmith to explore what it takes to lead meaningful organizational change. Amanda shares why successful transformation starts by connecting every initiative back to organizational purpose and strategy. She also explains why organizations sometimes need to do less, slow down, and create stronger foundations before moving forward. Rather than measuring success simply by whether a project launches on schedule, leaders need to consider whether people can actually adopt the change and whether it improves how work gets done. A major part of that process is the role of managers. Amanda describes managers as the “secret sauce” of successful change because they are the people translating organizational decisions into everyday conversations with employees. Giving managers early information, practical tools, space to ask difficult questions, and a clear understanding of the “why” helps them communicate change in ways that make sense for their individual teams. The conversation also explores employee voice, change fatigue, resistance, and the importance of allowing employees to make sense of change for themselves rather than telling them how they should feel about it. Amanda explains that leaders need to recognize the potential loss of agency and identity that can accompany even positive changes and create space for people to work through those reactions.   Key Takeaways Turning long-term organizational strategy into manageable stages of changeWhy successful transformation requires prioritization and organizational capacityBuilding alignment between strategy, leaders, teams, and everyday workCreating meaningful employee voice without requiring consensus on every decisionRecognizing and responding to change fatigue and resistanceMeasuring change through both business outcomes and employee behavior Thank you for your continued support of the show and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.    Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.    Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

Take a Different Seat: What Are We Really Looking for at HR Tech Events?Host: Chris Havrilla, Podcast Host & Founder of AI Alchemists™ Guests: Joanna Clark and Matthew Brown   Summary What are you looking for when you walk into an HR technology conference? A new solution? The latest AI announcement? A vendor shortlist? A glimpse at where the market is headed? In the debut episode of Take a Different Seat, host Chris Havrilla starts with that seemingly simple question and invites two experienced HR technology leaders to examine it from very different seats. From the buyer perspective to the vendor and customer experience side, the conversation explores what really happens when organizations, technology providers, and practitioners come together at industry events. The answer turns out to have far less to do with collecting product information and much more to do with understanding the problems organizations are actually trying to solve. The discussion digs into the growing disconnect between buyers and sellers, the pressure to adopt AI, and the danger of applying new technology to processes built for yesterday’s work. Instead of starting with a product or feature list, the group makes the case for starting with the business problem, asking better questions, and staying curious long enough to understand what a solution will actually mean inside a specific organization. As the conversation progresses, another important gap emerges: the difference between what technology looks like in a demo and what it takes to make that technology successful on day one. Buyers may not always know what questions to ask, while providers can easily allow their own talking points to drive the conversation. The challenge for both sides is to move beyond the pitch and get closer to the realities of the work, the organization, and the people who will ultimately use the technology. And by the end of the episode, the original question has changed. Instead of asking people at the next industry event, “What are you here to see?”, perhaps the better question is: “What do you need to learn more about?”   Topics Include Why the same HR technology event looks very different depending on the seat you're sitting inHow buyers can move from shopping for solutions to understanding the business problemWhy AI is exposing old processes rather than automatically fixing themThe disconnect between technology demos and the reality of implementationWhy learning, curiosity, and better questions matter more as technology changes faster  Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.   Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.   Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

The HR Happy Hour Network Welcomes "Take a Different Seat"Hosts: Steve Boese & Trish Steed Guest: Chris Havrilla, Podcast Host & Founder of AI Alchemists™   Summary The HR Happy Hour Media Network is welcoming a new show to the network: Take a Different Seat, hosted by longtime technology strategist, analyst, advisor, and product leader Chris Havrilla. In this introductory conversation, Steve and Trish sit down with Chris to talk about the idea behind the new series, the experiences she brings to it, and why perspective matters more than ever as organizations navigate AI, technology, work, and increasingly consequential decisions. The premise behind Take a Different Seat is simple: better decisions begin with better questions, and better questions emerge when we are willing to see a problem from perspectives beyond our own. Rather than beginning each episode with a predetermined answer, Chris will start with a consequential question, bring together different perspectives, challenge assumptions, and see whether the conversation leads to an even better question. Chris also shares how her career across research, advisory, product strategy, and technology has shaped the new show. Her experience spans organizations including Deloitte and Oracle, where she worked through the rapid evolution of generative and agentic AI and saw firsthand how technological change creates new legal, ethical, operational, financial, and human questions for organizations. Together, they explore why context matters when making technology and workforce decisions, why organizations cannot simply hand responsibility for consequential decisions over to AI, and why leaders need to become more comfortable examining issues from more than one seat. As Chris puts it, sometimes the most valuable outcome isn't finding the answer. It's discovering the question you should have been asking in the first place.   Topics include: The idea behind Take a Different Seat and what listeners can expectWhy perspective and intellectual humility are becoming essential leadership skillsHow better questions can lead to better organizational decisionsChris's experience across AI, product strategy, research, and advisory workWhy AI is creating new questions around accountability, transparency, and decision-making   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.   Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

From Low-Wage Work to Career Opportunity: Building Better Talent PathwaysHost: Steve Boese Guest: Connor Diamond-Yauman, Co-CEO of Merit America   Summary In this episode of At Work in America, Steve is joined by Connor Diemand-Yauman, for a conversation about economic mobility, workforce development, and creating stronger pathways from low-wage work into sustainable careers. Connor shares the story behind Merit America and the realization that helped inspire its work: access to education alone does not necessarily create opportunity. The conversation explores their work with adults in low-wage jobs and why human coaching has become such an important part of its model. While learners may initially come for credentials in areas such as IT support, project management, cybersecurity, or semiconductor technology, Connor explains that many ultimately identify coaching as one of the most transformational parts of their experience. Steve and Connor also discuss the rapidly changing labor market and the challenge of preparing people for jobs and skills that continue to evolve. Rather than trying to perfectly predict the future of work, Connor argues that agility is becoming one of the most important capabilities for workforce development organizations, employers, and workers alike. For HR and business leaders, the message is clear: expanding economic opportunity requires opening the aperture on how we define qualified talent, taking thoughtful risks on people who may not fit traditional hiring profiles, and creating real pathways for people to turn their skills and potential into meaningful careers.   Topics include: Why access to education does not automatically translate into career opportunityHow workforce programs can keep pace with a rapidly changing labor marketWhy some perceived talent shortages may actually be workplace or business model problemsThe disconnect between removing degree requirements and actually changing hiring practicesHow employers can broaden their definition of qualified talent   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.  Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

The Crossroads of HR: AI, Judgement, and the Future of the ProfessionHosts: Mervyn Dinnen Guest: David D'Souza, Writer, keynote speaker, and advisor   Summary In this episode of HR Means Business, Mervyn is joined by David D’Souza, former Director of Profession at the CIPD, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of HR and the capabilities professionals will need to navigate what comes next. David reflects on how the profession has evolved and why HR’s value cannot be defined by HR alone. Rather than beginning with programs, best practices, or what the function believes organizations should do, he argues that HR must begin with the problems the business is trying to solve and understand how people, skills, structure, and culture can help address them. The conversation also explores the growing role of AI in HR and why automation creates both opportunity and responsibility. As technology takes on more transactional work, skills such as situational judgment, evidence-based decision-making, curiosity, adaptability, relationship building, and critical thinking become even more important.   Key Takeaways HR must start with the business problemHuman judgment becomes more important as AI growsCuriosity and adaptability will be essential HR skillsWorkforce planning must become more agileHR needs to enable change, not become the point of resistance Thank you for your continued support of the show and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.   Here’s a wild stat: 6 in 10 employees have never been meaningfully recognized for a work anniversary. Think about that. Five, 10, 20 years of someone’s life — and too often, the moment falls flat. Workhuman’s Service Milestones® makes recognition more personal, memorable, and impactful. Milestone tracking happens automatically through your HRIS, the right colleagues are inspired to share stories and congratulations, and employees get access to rewards they actually want.  Ready to make your milestones meet the moment with Workhuman? Click the banner on this episode’s page or follow the link in the show notes to learn more.

Compliance Is Cool: Using AI to Make Employment Law EasierHosts: Steve Boese and Trish Steed Guest: Kimball Dean Parker, CEO at SixFifty   Summary In this episode of At Work in America, Steve and Trish welcome Kimball Dean Parker, CEO of SixFifty, for a conversation about how technology and AI are changing the way organizations manage employment law and compliance. Kimball shares the story behind SixFifty and why employment law became such an important problem to solve. With regulations varying across states, cities, and counties — and changing constantly — staying current can quickly become overwhelming, particularly for organizations hiring across multiple locations. The conversation explores how AI and automation can help organizations manage everything from employee handbooks and hiring documents to required posters, training, and other compliance workflows. Kimball also explains why combining AI with established legal workflows can create more predictable and reliable outcomes rather than simply asking generative AI to produce an answer from scratch. The conversation also looks beyond risk reduction. When organizations have greater confidence in their compliance infrastructure, they can hire talent in more locations, respond more quickly to regulatory changes, and give HR leaders back time that would otherwise be spent managing administrative complexity. The group offers a practical example of where AI can create immediate value for HR: taking repeatable, time-intensive compliance work off people's plates while allowing HR professionals to focus more of their time on people, strategy, and the business.   Topics include: Why employment law compliance becomes increasingly complex as organizations expand across locationsHow technology can help organizations stay ahead of changing employment regulationsThe importance of combining AI with structured, established processesHow stronger compliance infrastructure can support multistate hiring and business growthHow automation can give HR leaders more time for strategic workWhy compliance may be one of the most practical places for organizations to begin using AI Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.  This episode of At Work in America is sponsored by Paychex, an industry-leading human capital management company that combines scale, trusted expertise, and innovation to help businesses succeed. SixFifty, by Paychex helps your business stay ahead of constantly changing laws and regulations with HR compliance software. Curated by experienced attorneys and powered by AI, SixFifty helps turn the impossible job of staying compliant with employment laws across every state into something simple, automatic, and stress-free. SixFifty is available both as a standalone solution and as an integrated offering within Paychex’s HCM platforms. To learn more about how you can make faster, more confident compliance decisions, head to sixfifty.com

The Q4 Scramble: Setting Boundaries Before Budgeting & Open Enrollment BeginHost: Sabrina Baker   Summary September is the Sunday evening of the business calendar—summer vacations end, executive energy surges, and suddenly every department wants everything finished before December 31st. For small business HR leaders (1–500 employees) operating without a bench of specialists, handling Open Enrollment, 2027 budgeting, and performance reviews all at once can lead straight to severe Q4 burnout. In this episode of HR Connection, Sabrina breaks down how to move away from telling leadership "we're too busy"—a phrase executives often misread as a lack of time management—and start defining "busy" with concrete calendar data. Learn how to build Quarterly and Annual Roadmaps, translate HR initiatives into "time in weeks," navigate budget requests whether you have a formal HR budget or not, and execute Q4 scrappily without dropping the ball.   Topics include: Use a quarterly roadmap to visualize workload and tradeoffsBuild an annual roadmap to anticipate heavy periods and resource needsCreate more structure and stronger boundaries around open enrollmentConnect HR investments directly to time and capacity gainedStreamline and automate performance review processesAvoid changing major HR processes right before launchTreat capacity management as a leadership responsibility   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.

Is the Culture You Have the Culture You Think You Have? How to Read the Culture SignalsHosts: Steve Boese and Trish Steed Guest: Meisha-ann Martin, Ph.D., VP of People Research at Workhuman   Summary In this episode of the HR Happy Hour Show, Steve and Trish are joined by Meisha-ann Martin, VP of People Research at Workhuman, for a conversation about moving beyond stated values and getting a clearer picture of how culture actually shows up across an organization. The conversation explores one of the biggest sources of cultural disconnect: what organizations say they value versus what they actually reward and reinforce. A company may say it values efficient execution while celebrating heroic firefighting. It may promote innovation while only recognizing successful outcomes, unintentionally discouraging thoughtful risk-taking. Or it may tolerate harmful behaviors because an employee delivers strong business results. Meisha-ann shares how recognition data can give leaders a much richer view into these patterns. She also explains how advances in people analytics and natural language processing are making it possible to uncover insights that traditional engagement surveys alone could not provide—from identifying differences in how employees are recognized to detecting language that may serve as an early warning signal for burnout. Ultimately, Meisha-ann encourages HR and business leaders to approach culture with greater intentionality: define the outcome you want, understand the behaviors that lead to it, measure what is actually happening, and continually refine the system based on what the data reveals.   Topics include: Why culture is more than the values written on the wallThe gap between organizational intentions and employee experiencesHow organizations can unintentionally reinforce the wrong behaviorsThe relationship among vulnerability, recognition, and psychological safetyHow language data can uncover burnout risk, bias, and cultural misalignmentWhy recognizing behaviors—not just outcomes—can improve performanceConnecting leadership behaviors to organizational outcomesWhy measurement should come before analytics   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.

Ghosting the Ghost Jobs: Navigating Today’s Hiring NightmareHosts: Jack McFarlane and Nicholas Schlemmer   Summary In this episode of The Play by Play, Jack and Nick dig into the increasingly complicated world of modern job hunting, beginning with the rise of ghost jobs - job postings that remain online even when an organization may not actually be hiring for the position. Jack shares his own experiences navigating job postings and discusses why organizations may keep positions listed, while Nick offers a different perspective from the golf industry, where professional credentials and industry-specific hiring networks can make the recruiting process much more targeted. Then the conversation turns to AI. With job seekers able to automate applications at massive scale and employers relying on applicant tracking systems and AI tools to sort through growing applicant pools, Jack and Nick explore what happens when hiring becomes a bot-to-bot cycle. The result can be frustrating for everyone: candidates struggle to stand out while recruiters face enormous volumes of applications from people who may not actually be qualified. So what can job seekers do differently? They talk about the continued value of human connection in the hiring process, from referrals and networking to directly contacting an organization or hiring manager. They also discuss why demonstrating an actual body of work, accomplishments, and professional presence may become increasingly important as AI makes traditional resumes easier to create and harder to evaluate. And, of course, it wouldn’t be The Play by Play without a little competition. Jack puts Nick to the test with a round of Real or Fake Job Posting, featuring some job descriptions so outrageous that figuring out which ones are legitimate turns out to be much harder than expected.   Takeaways What ghost jobs are and why they create frustration for job seekersHow AI is changing both sides of the recruiting processWhy AI-powered screening can make hiring feel like AI competing against AIHow networking and direct outreach can help candidates stand outWhy a visible body of work may matter more in an AI-driven hiring environmentWhy staying human may be one of the most important advantages in the modern job search   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.

What Signals is Your Culture Sending Out into the World?Hosts: Steve Boese and Trish Steed Guest: Saima Rashid, Chief Marketing Officer at Workhuman   Summary It’s easy to point to a careers page, recruiting campaign, company values, or social media presence. But ultimately, an employer brand is shaped by something much harder to manufacture: what employees actually experience inside the organization. In this episode of the HR Happy Hour, Steve Boese and Trish Steed welcome Saima Rashid, Chief Marketing Officer at Workhuman, for a conversation about the evolving role of employer brand and how recognition data can provide a much more authentic view of workplace culture. Saima describes employer brand as the external expression of the internal employee experience. That means organizations need real examples that demonstrate how people collaborate, contribute, support one another, and live company values every day - and recognition data can help uncover those stories. Because recognition happens in the flow of work and comes from employees across teams, roles, and functions, it can provide leaders with real-time insight into the behaviors, skills, relationships, and contributions shaping the organization. It can also reveal where recognition is missing - giving leaders an earlier indication of potential disconnects before they appear in traditional measures such as engagement, retention, or employee referrals. Steve, Trish, and Saima also explore how recognition can help new leaders understand their teams, bring greater context into performance conversations, strengthen employee advocacy, and give organizations authentic stories that employees actually want to share. And with AI making it possible to analyze large amounts of unstructured recognition data, organizations have an opportunity to uncover even deeper insights about skills, leadership, culture, and whether business values are truly showing up in the way work gets done.   Topics include: Why employer brand is ultimately shaped by the lived employee experienceThe difference between promoting company values and demonstrating themHow recognition data provides real-time, human insight into how work gets doneWhy specific employee stories can be more powerful than traditional employer-brand messagingHow recognition can help leaders uncover skills, contributions, and relationships they may not otherwise seeWhy authentic employee advocacy must be earned rather than orchestratedHow organizations can compare their stated values with the behaviors employees actually recognizeHow AI can help uncover new insights from recognition data Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.

Reclaiming the Plot: HR’s Role in the AI TransformationHosts: Mervyn Dinnen Guest: Dr. Kelly Monahan, Future of Work and AI Advisor   Summary In this episode of HR Means Business, Mervyn welcomes Dr. Kelly Monahan, future of work and AI advisor and author of Reclaim the Plot, for a conversation about what it means to redesign organizations for a world where humans and AI increasingly work together. Kelly argues that many organizations are approaching AI transformation too narrowly - focusing on efficiency and automation without thinking deeply enough about how work, organizational structures, skills, leadership, and value creation need to change. Listen in for a thoughtful conversation about AI, leadership, workforce transformation, and why HR has an important opportunity to help organizations reclaim the plot.   Key Takeaways Why AI transformation may increasingly become an HR responsibilityHow organizations can move from short-term workforce reduction thinking to longer-term workforce redesignWhy HR professionals need greater exposure to how the broader business creates valueThe importance of keeping humans accountable for decisions, exceptions, and moments where judgment mattersHow leaders can approach workforce reductions with greater transparency and humanityWhy inconsistent AI adoption and invisible workflows are creating new challenges for managersHow principles, learning, and shared experimentation can provide better AI guardrailsWhat the HR function could look like as human and AI work become increasingly integrated   Thank you for your continued support of the show and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.

Rebuilding Pathways to Work: Removing Barriers for Overlooked TalentHosts: Steve Boese and Trish Steed Guest: Dr. Lee Bowes, CEO of America Works   Summary In this episode of At Work in America, Steve and Trish speak with Dr. Lee Bowes, CEO of America Works, about what it takes to reconnect people with meaningful employment - and why employers may be overlooking individuals who have the ability and desire to contribute. Dr. Bowes shares lessons from decades of helping people navigate challenges including disabilities, employment gaps, limited transportation, justice involvement, outdated skills, and complex public-benefit systems. The conversation also examines the role employers and HR leaders can play in creating more accessible hiring processes, supporting frontline managers, and helping new employees remain successful once they are hired. Sustainable employment often requires individualized support, stronger employer partnerships, practical problem-solving, and a willingness to recognize potential that may not appear on a traditional résumé.   Topics include: Why employment provides connection, dignity, and purpose in addition to incomeThe practical barriers that prevent willing people from returning to workTransportation challenges facing workers in suburban and rural communitiesHow complicated online applications and limited digital skills can restrict accessWhy employers and frontline managers also need support when hiring overlooked talentThe importance of coaching, communication, and early intervention in employee retentionWhat HR leaders can do to create more sustainable pathways into employment   Thank you for joining the show today! Remember to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!   Workhuman is a proud supporter of the HR Happy Hour Network.  Nearly every HR leader knows the feeling: Teams are stretched thin, priorities keep shifting, and it's getting harder to see what's really going on beneath the surface. That's the subject of Workhuman's new documentary, Spotlight: The Leadership Reset, an investigation into why managers are losing visibility into their teams, and what it takes to see clearly again. Featuring Harvard’s Professor Amy Edmondson, crisis leadership expert Dr. Syra Madad, and bakery-owner-turned-business-leader Joanne Chang. The Leadership Reset premieres September 29th. Register for free today at workhuman.com/spotlight.