The Human Element | CHRO & HR Leadership Podcast

Episodi

• AI Can Fake Identity. It Can't Fake Humanity 18.06.2026 33min

  DescriptionIn December 2024, Christine Aldrich's recruiting team caught their first deepfake candidate. Twelve months later, nearly 1 in 6 applicants at Pindrop shows signs of data manipulation — and every HR leader Christine knows has a story.In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Christine Aldrich, Chief People Officer at Pindrop (the company building voice security and deepfake detection technology), to talk about what hiring really looks like when you can no longer assume the person on the other end of the camera is who they say they are.They cover the velocity of the deepfake hiring problem, why the two reflex responses (ban AI / go back in-person) are both wrong, the lightweight tactic any recruiting team can deploy on Monday morning, and why the future of recruiting belongs to the people who let technology verify identity so humans can focus on what only humans can do.TakeawaysWhy December 2024 was the inflection point for deepfake candidates in hiringThe Pindrop data behind the "1 in 6" stat — and what it really means for your funnelWhy banning AI in your application process filters out your best candidates while letting fraudsters throughHow recruiter bias training collides with deepfake detection — and how to resolve the conflictThe three-minute consistency check any recruiter can start using on MondayHow to run identity verification in the background so candidate experience doesn't sufferWhy "AI fluency" is now a behavioral attribute at PindropThe most overrated tool in fighting candidate fraud (hint: you've been on it today)What recruiting looks like when AI takes the bottom of the skill stackChristine's closing reframe for every HR leader on the drive homeChapters(00:00) Cold open and intro(01:15) Christine's path: Michigan, Ford, Dunkin' Brands, and four startups(04:00) The first fraudulent candidate (December 2024) and the velocity of the problem(05:45) The 1-in-6 stat and what data manipulation actually looks like(06:30) What a deepfake candidate looks like in a real interview(09:00) AI usage vs. AI fabrication — where Pindrop draws the line(11:00) Why this isn't just a tech industry problem(12:30) The collision between recruiter bias training and fraud detection(16:00) The lightweight tactics any team can start using Monday morning(18:00) Verification in the background — preserving candidate experience(21:30) AI as both threat and defense — and why treating it as only one is the mistake(23:30) How Pindrop's own team uses AI in the recruiting process(25:30) The candidate side of the verification conversation(28:00) Lightning round: first red flag, the recruiter tactic, the most overrated tool(29:30) "AI can fake identity. It can't fake humanity."(31:00) Barb's takeaways and Christine's final wordConnect with the GuestLinkedIn: https://https://www.linkedin.com/in/chriskaszubski/Pindrop: https://www.pindrop.comSponsorWisq is the AI platform for HR. We built Harper, the world's first AI HR teammate — designed to handle the judgment-heavy work that has historically consumed HR teams: job changes, performance concerns, leaves of absence, onboarding, and employee relations issues. Where HCM bolt-ons and chatbots deflect the easiest questions, Harper resolves full cases, end-to-end. The result is an HR function with the capacity and strategic bandwidth to focus on the work that moves the business.Companies get Harper live in weeks, not quarters, with implementation support built on deep HR domain expertise. Wisq serves HR leaders at leading companies across industries, helping them raise the bar on employee experience and expand what their teams are capable of.For more information, visit  https://www.wisq.com
• How to Onboard Your AI the Right Way 09.06.2026 35min

  SummaryOn The Human Element, Barb Bidan talks with Q Hamirani, Chief People Officer at HighLevel, about treating AI as a teammate you onboard rather than a tool you install. Q draws on building people functions at Airbnb, Paper, and now a 2,000-person fully remote AI company to argue that the real constraint on AI adoption is human cognitive capacity, not technology. He shares how he trained an AI compensation model to stop and validate at three checkpoints so a human always owns the outcome. The throughline: the people leader's job is not to implement AI, it is to decide what stays human. Built for CHROs, VPs of People, and anyone leading AI adoption in HR.Chapters00:00 Meet Q Hamirani, CPO at HighLevel02:20 Backing into HR from an engineering mindset06:10 AI as a teammate, not a tool11:00 Defining what a digital teammate owns13:05 The real bottleneck is human capacity16:40 Multi-modality: surveys, songs, and websites21:00 Three stops that keep AI out of the black box24:40 Accountability as culture, not compliance27:30 Bolting AI onto broken work30:40 Lightning round and the last wordTakeaways- Onboard AI like a teammate with a loose job description and a clear owner, not a tool you install.- The binding constraint on AI adoption is human cognitive capacity, not budget or technology.- Break AI processes into blocks with human validation stops so nothing runs as an end-to-end black box.- Accountability does not change in an AI world; a human still owns the outcome.- The people leader's job is to decide what stays human.Connect with the GuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamirani/Website: https://www.gohighlevel.com/SponsorWisq is the AI platform for HR. We built Harper, the world's first AI HR teammate — designed to handle the judgment-heavy work that has historically consumed HR teams: job changes, performance concerns, leaves of absence, onboarding, and employee relations issues. Where HCM bolt-ons and chatbots deflect the easiest questions, Harper resolves full cases, end-to-end. The result is an HR function with the capacity and strategic bandwidth to focus on the work that moves the business.Companies get Harper live in weeks, not quarters, with implementation support built on deep HR domain expertise. Wisq serves HR leaders at leading companies across industries, helping them raise the bar on employee experience and expand what their teams are capable of.For more information, visit wisq.com.
• When Doing Great HR Work Isn't Enough 02.06.2026 32min

  SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Chief People Officer John Foster (Tala) makes the case that the biggest risk for HR leaders isn't doing bad work — it's doing great work that the organization isn't ready to receive. John shares the framework he calls scratch OD, his argument for why AI won't fix performance management but will replace it, and the career moment when a boss told him to take his foot off his throat. Essential listening for people leaders who want to use the AI era to redesign, not just optimize.Chapters00:00 Introduction: John Foster, Tala, and the Gamut framework02:30 AI as restructuring work, not optimizing it05:30 Organization market fit: the Cambrian explosion analogy09:30 Applying AI at Tala: rethinking software development and workflows11:30 Performance management's 10-second reinvention15:30 Using AI as a thinking partner for organizational rethinking19:00 Scratch OD: the chef framework for HR design23:00 The change agent's trap: empathy for overwhelmed leaders26:30 When HR is correct but not effective28:00 The winning organization in 2026: customer-centric and modular30:00 Lightning round: Trader Joe's, Ford, and what HR most often skipsTakeawaysBeing entirely right about the work does not make you effective at changing the organization.Scratch OD starts with the ingredients — what people actually need from work — not with which best practice to borrow.AI makes individual performance clarity at scale possible for the first time, shifting the model from top-down judgment to individual empowerment.The organizations that thrive in the AI era will be customer-centric and modular, not defined by their product or technology.If you can imagine what you want to build and describe it in detail, you already have an entry point into using AI to construct it.Connect with the GuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfoster-gamut/Website: https://tala.co/careers/SponsorWisq is the AI platform for HR. We built Harper, the world's first AI HR teammate — designed to handle the judgment-heavy work that has historically consumed HR teams: job changes, performance concerns, leaves of absence, onboarding, and employee relations issues. Where HCM bolt-ons and chatbots deflect the easiest questions, Harper resolves full cases, end-to-end. The result is an HR function with the capacity and strategic bandwidth to focus on the work that moves the business.Companies get Harper live in weeks, not quarters, with implementation support built on deep HR domain expertise. Wisq serves HR leaders at leading companies across industries, helping them raise the bar on employee experience and expand what their teams are capable of. For more information, visit wisq.com. (00:00) - Introduction: John Foster, Tala, and the Gamut framework (02:30) - AI as restructuring work, not optimizing it (05:30) - Organization market fit: the Cambrian explosion analogy (09:30) - Applying AI at Tala: rethinking software development and workflows (11:30) - Performance management's 10-second reinvention (15:30) - Using AI as a thinking partner for organizational rethinking (19:00) - Scratch OD: the chef framework for HR design (23:00) - The change agent's trap: empathy for overwhelmed leaders (26:30) - When HR is correct but not effective (28:00) - The winning organization in 2026: customer-centric and modular (30:00) - Lightning round: Trader Joe's, Ford, and what HR most often skips
• The Moments That Make or Break Your HR Function 26.05.2026 28min

  SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Barb talks with Heather Oxley, CHRO at Perficient, about what it looks like to run HR for a firm whose entire business is helping other companies transform. Heather walks through three areas where she's deploying AI across the talent life cycle: project staffing, learning and development, and recruiting. Her central argument is that the value of AI in HR isn't primarily about cost reduction — it's about bringing clarity to the decisions that define the function. She also names the one thing AI should never touch.Chapters00:00 Host Intro: HR at a Firm Built on Transformation01:30 Heather's Role at Perficient and the AI-First Mandate03:30 AI in Project Staffing: Beyond Skills and Availability09:00 The Leapfrog Moment for Smaller Teams12:30 Learning as Career Navigation, Not Content Delivery17:00 90% Voluntary Adoption in Two Weeks19:30 AI in Recruiting: Where the Legal Stakes Are Highest22:30 Closing the Candidate Black Hole and Debiasing Panels24:30 The Fork in the Road: Cost Reduction vs. Decision Clarity26:00 Lightning Round: The Line AI Should Never CrossTakeawaysAI in recruiting should augment human judgment, not replace it, especially as legislation in New York, California, and Colorado continues to evolve.Using agents to close the loop with every candidate who doesn't advance is one of the highest-value, lowest-risk uses of AI in HR.The fork facing HR leaders today is cost reduction vs. decision clarity, and most organizations are defaulting to cost.Moments that matter (offers, terminations, promotions, hard conversations) should always involve a person, not an agent.The HR leaders who matter in this era are the ones who prove the function can be as agentic as any other part of the business.Connect with the GuestLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatheroxley/Website: https://www.perficient.com/SponsorThe Human Element is brought to you by Harper, Wisq's always-on AI HR Generalist transforming how work gets done. Powered by deep HR intelligence, Harper delivers instant, accurate, and empathetic support—from policy questions to performance coaching—so your people get answers fast and your teams stay focused.Learn more at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:00) - Host Intro: HR at a Firm Built on Transformation (01:30) - Heather's Role at Perficient and the AI-First Mandate (03:30) - AI in Project Staffing: Beyond Skills and Availability (09:00) - The Leapfrog Moment for Smaller Teams (12:30) - Learning as Career Navigation, Not Content Delivery (17:00) - 90% Voluntary Adoption in Two Weeks (19:30) - AI in Recruiting: Where the Legal Stakes Are Highest (22:30) - Closing the Candidate Black Hole and Debiasing Panels (24:30) - The Fork in the Road: Cost Reduction vs. Decision Clarity (26:00) - Lightning Round: The Line AI Should Never Cross
• Why AI Adoption Stalls When Trust Runs Out 21.05.2026 32min

  SummaryIn this episode of The Human Element, Barb Bidan sits down with Azurée S. Montoute-Lewis, Global Chief People Officer at Burson, to discuss what it actually takes to move AI from pilot programs to organization-wide adoption. Azurée argues that the organizations succeeding at AI adoption aren't moving the fastest. They're the ones who built a foundation of trust before deploying tools, designed metrics around decision quality rather than usage, and drew clear lines between where AI assists human work and where humans must still make the call. With 5,000 employees and 9,000 internal AI agents, Burson is a working example of what that approach produces.Chapters00:00 Azurée's role at Burson and what makes it unique03:10 AI forces an operating model change, not just a technology change07:30 Why scaling AI breaks down: ownership, data gaps, change fatigue11:45 Bringing along early adopters, skeptics, and global audiences14:00 The right way to measure AI impact (not usage)17:20 When Burson's data came back inconclusive and what they did next20:15 Agentic AI: from AI that assists to AI that acts23:50 The feedback coaching agent and where Burson draws the line27:00 Trust, fear response, and psychological safety in an AI workplace29:30 Lightning round: one metric, one governance mistake, one line AI won't crossTakeawaysMeasuring AI adoption by usage is the wrong metric — decision quality and output quality are the signals that matter.Organizations that deploy AI without a transparent trust conversation trigger a predictable fear response; building trust first makes adoption easier and more durable.The strongest HR AI use cases augment human capability rather than replace human judgment — Burson's feedback coaching agent is a working example.Calibration, succession, and leadership assessments should stay with humans; AI can aggregate inputs but cannot supply the nuance of real leadership observation.HR's core job in the AI era is designing the human architecture around the technology: the measurement frame, the trust foundation, and the human/AI boundary.Guest linksAzurée S. Montoute-Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azureesmontoutelewis/Company Website: https://www.bursonglobal.com/SponsorThe Human Element is brought to you by Harper, Wisq's always-on AI HR Generalist transforming how work gets done. Powered by deep HR intelligence, Harper delivers instant, accurate, and empathetic support—from policy questions to performance coaching—so your people get answers fast and your teams stay focused.Learn more at https://www.wisq.com/
• How One Survey Fixed Three Issues in a Single Week Using AI 19.05.2026 32min

  SummaryA new hire fills out their 90-day survey and says they're not getting meaningful time with their manager. Instead of filing it away for a quarterly review, Bradford Wilkins pulls the data—and within ten seconds, AI shows him that the manager is spending nearly 50% of their time on pre-sales activities that aren't even part of their job. Within a week, the team is redesigning job responsibilities, reallocating time, and building a fix that will accelerate ramp for every future hire in that department. In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Bradford Wilkins, VP of People and Organization at Cognite, an industrial AI company, for a fast-moving conversation about what happens when you stop looking at people data in silos and start connecting it the same way you'd connect sensors in an oil refinery. Bradford walks through how Cognite is building knowledge graphs that layer engagement data on top of performance data on top of Salesforce data to surface correlations no one was seeing before, why he says 50% of his job is already gone (and why that's exciting, not scary), and his "cheesecloth" framework for AI-first thinking: push everything through AI first, and whatever's left on the other side is the human work. He and Barb also get into why entry-level hires who grew up on AI may be more valuable right now than your mid-career employees, how org charts are starting to include agent boxes alongside human ones, and why the best time to start was twenty years ago—but the second best time is now.Timestamps00:39 How Cognite connects people data the same way it connects industrial sensors04:30 The 90-day survey that triggered three fixes in a single week09:54 Where the biggest HR automation opportunities are right now12:59 "50% of my job is gone"—and why that's the exciting part14:12 What still requires the human touch: team composition, empathy, judgment19:42 Building trust by helping employees visualize where their jobs are headed23:51 Managing agents as direct reports: the new org chart26:35 Learning labs, AI champions, and building capability through show and tellTakeawaysPush every process through the "cheesecloth" of AI first—what's left on the other side is the genuinely human workConnect your people data across silos (engagement, performance, time tracking, CRM) instead of analyzing each in isolationDon't add AI on top of a bad process; you're just compounding the problem fasterBuild trust by helping employees visualize what their jobs will look like after AI, not just telling them not to worryCreate learning labs and AI champion roles to drive adoption intentionally instead of hoping it happens organicallyRecognize that entry-level hires who grew up on AI may be your most valuable asset right now for accelerating adoptionGuest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfordwilkins/Company website: https://www.cognite.comSponsorWisq introduces Harper, your AI-powered HR service bot designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:39) - How Cognite connects people data the same way it connects industrial sensors (04:30) - The 90-day survey that triggered three fixes in a single week (09:54) - Where the biggest HR automation opportunities are right now (12:59) - "50% of my job is gone"—and why that's the exciting part (14:12) - What still requires the human touch: team composition, empathy, judgment (19:42) - Building trust by helping employees visualize where their jobs are headed (23:51) - Managing agents as direct reports: the new org chart (26:35) - Learning labs, AI champions, and building capability through show and tell
• How to Drive AI Adoption Inside a Global Company 05.05.2026 29min

  SummaryIn a regulated, data-rich industry like insurance, speed isn't the goal—credibility is. In this episode of The Human Element, host Barb Bidan sits down with Elizabeth McSaveny, Chief People Officer at Zurich Canada, for a grounded conversation about what it actually looks like to drive AI adoption at scale inside a global enterprise. Liz leads people strategy for a company that already runs on data across underwriting, claims, and risk, which gives her a unique vantage point on how HR should show up in the AI conversation: not as the owner of the technology, but as the orchestrator of trust, clarity, and responsible use. She shares how Zurich built ZuriChat—a GPT-based tool with enterprise guardrails—rolled out mandatory Copilot training with annual recertification, and why the gap between access and adoption is almost always a leadership problem, not a technology problem. Barb and Liz also get into the distinction between artificial intelligence and augmented intelligence, why 70% of AI transformations fail due to leadership rather than tech, and what Liz is looking for in a new L&D hire tasked with building AI capability across the organization. She closes with practical advice for every HR leader: get comfortable with the tools yourself first, because your team is watching whether you actually use what you're asking them to adopt. If you lead people in a regulated industry or are trying to build AI adoption that sticks, this conversation will ground your approach.Timestamps01:06 Liz's intro and what leading people strategy means at a global insurer02:10 Why credibility matters more than speed in regulated environments05:26 Advice for HR leaders stepping into global or regulated roles for the first time07:39 How Zurich uses AI in underwriting, claims, and HR10:57 Building ZuriChat with enterprise guardrails and mandatory recertification16:57 Hiring an L&D leader focused on building AI capability23:27 What HR leaders are getting wrong: focusing on the tool instead of the mindset26:02 One action HR leaders can take this weekTakeawaysLead with clarity and trust, not speed—credibility is how you earn the right to move fast laterClose the gap between AI access and adoption by investing in leadership capability, not more toolsRequire training and recertification for AI tools so employees understand both the power and the boundariesSell AI internally as an enabler of your day to day, not a separate initiative layered on top of existing workModel AI use yourself before asking your team to adopt—they're watching whether you practice what you promoteDefine what good innovation looks like before telling your team to "be innovative"Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-McSavaney-chrl-bsc-371377/Company website: https://www.zurichcanada.com/en-caSponsorWisq introduces Harper, your AI-powered HR service bot designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (01:06) - Liz's intro and what leading people strategy means at a global insurer (02:10) - Why credibility matters more than speed in regulated environments (05:26) - Advice for HR leaders stepping into global or regulated roles for the first time (07:39) - How Zurich uses AI in underwriting, claims, and HR (10:57) - Building ZuriChat with enterprise guardrails and mandatory recertification (16:57) - Hiring an L&D leader focused on building AI capability (23:27) - What HR leaders are getting wrong: focusing on the tool instead of the mindset (26:02) - One action HR leaders can take this week
• Why Humans Are the Real Bottleneck to Workforce Transformation — Not AI 28.04.2026 34min

  SummaryAI is already inside 75% of companies—and 100% of people are using it—but only 10% actually know how. So what's really standing between organizations and meaningful AI transformation? According to Amanda Scott, it's not the technology. It's us. In this episode, Barb Bidan sits down with Amanda Scott, CEO of North America Talent Solutions at AON and a PhD candidate researching AI's impact on the workforce, for a deep, data-driven conversation on what's real versus hype in the AI era. Amanda leads a team of 500+ advisors across rewards, career, executive compensation, and assessment, giving her a rare dual lens: practical client work by day, academic research by night. Together, Barb and Amanda unpack AI sensitivity heat maps, the widening gender pay gap hiding inside AI adoption, why junior and senior roles are most exposed, and how the "middle" of the workforce may be the most important group to get right. If you lead people, design jobs, or set pay strategy, this one's essential listening.Timestamps00:54 Amanda's global background and why she's pursuing a PhD on AI03:56 The biggest limiting factor in AI adoption (hint: it's humans)06:41 Building AI heat maps and reshaping jobs around them12:50 What CHROs and C-suite leaders need to do right now15:38 Amanda's research: how AI is widening the gender pay gap18:48 The future for early-career workers entering the workforce22:17 Why the middle of the organization may matter most26:50 Lightning round and final takeawaysTakeawaysMap where AI will hit your workforce before deploying tools—start with a sensitivity heat map of roles and tasksRethink compensation alongside job design, because evolving roles change pay structuresPrioritize reskilling as an inclusion strategy, not just a retention oneBreak down silos between HR, technology, finance, and the board—this conversation requires all of themRedesign processes from scratch instead of just speeding up old ones with AILead with curiosity; it's the one skill that compounds through every wave of changeGuest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandabscott/Company website: https://www.AON.comSponsorWisq introduces Harper, your AI-powered HR service bot designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:54) - Amanda's global background and why she's pursuing a PhD on AI (03:56) - The biggest limiting factor in AI adoption (hint: it's humans) (06:41) - Building AI heat maps and reshaping jobs around them (12:50) - What CHROs and C-suite leaders need to do right now (15:38) - Amanda's research: how AI is widening the gender pay gap (18:48) - The future for early-career workers entering the workforce (22:17) - Why the middle of the organization may matter most (26:50) - Lightning round and final takeaways
• HR Leaders Are Hiding Behind AI — Here's Why 21.04.2026 28min

  SummaryWhat happens when you've actually built AI into hospitality at the scale of 7,000 employees and millions of guests—not theorized about it on LinkedIn? In this episode, Barb Bidan sits down with Ani Nazaryan, Chief People Officer at The Siegel Group and Amazing Brands, for a refreshingly practical conversation about where AI belongs in HR and where it absolutely doesn't. Ani built her foundation in luxury hospitality, helping open two of the most iconic resorts in Las Vegas—The Cosmopolitan and Fontainebleau—where she stood up entire people systems for thousands of employees and pioneered branded AI personas like Rose and Morris years before AI was a buzzword. Together, Barb and Ani get into the real use cases for AI in onboarding, recruiting, communications, and coaching—plus the moments leaders should never outsource. Ani shares why she calls overuse "hiding behind AI," her three-bucket test for when humans must lead (career, culture, judgment), and how to keep your authentic voice intact when AI is drafting your messages. If you're a people leader figuring out where to draw the line, this one's for you.Timestamps[03:09] – Ani's immigrant journey from Armenia to Las Vegas hospitality[05:59] – Where to draw the line: AI as assistant, not replacement[07:21] – Why automated onboarding still needs a human phone call[09:40] – Building Rose and Morris: AI personas with brand identity[13:11] – Hard messages, layoffs, and the role AI should never play[14:48] – Keeping your authentic voice when drafting with AI[20:37] – The "keyboard warrior" trap and what overuse looks like[25:45] – Lightning round and Ani's final word for HR leadersTakeawaysUse the three-bucket test before letting AI lead: career impact, culture impact, judgment required → keep it humanBookend automated processes with real human touchpoints to preserve connectionDraft your message in your own words first, then use AI to polish—not the other way aroundBuild branded AI personas that reinforce identity instead of generic chatbots that flatten itFree leaders from manual reporting and templating so they can spend more time in the fieldProtect critical thinking by refusing to outsource judgment your team's experience earnedGuest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ani-nazaryan-27660084/Company website: https://siegelgroup.netSponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world's first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (03:09) - Ani's immigrant journey from Armenia to Las Vegas hospitality (05:59) - Where to draw the line: AI as assistant, not replacement (07:21) - Why automated onboarding still needs a human phone call (09:40) - Building Rose and Morris: AI personas with brand identity (13:11) - Hard messages, layoffs, and the role AI should never play (14:48) - Keeping your authentic voice when drafting with AI (20:37) - The "keyboard warrior" trap and what overuse looks like (25:45) - Lightning round and Ani's final word for HR leaders
• From Inbox Chaos to Intelligent HR: TMS’s CPO on AI Chatbots, Goal-First Reviews, and HR’s Pull Power 09.04.2026 27min

  SummaryIf your HR team is buried in inbox requests, you’re leaving no time for the moments that truly need a human touch. Preet Michelson, Chief People Officer at TMS and Morgan Street Holdings, shares how she’s using AI to modernize global HR operations across 44+ countries—without losing the human element. A former CPA at KPMG who later moved into commercialization, Preet brings a business-first lens to HR, supporting a creative, fast-moving company known for Happy Meal toys and programs like T‑Mobile Tuesdays. She breaks down a practical, two-part approach: centralize and summarize inquiries with AI to spot training gaps and service needs, then route tier-0/1 questions to a chatbot (Jewel in SAP SuccessFactors) while protecting time for complex, sensitive issues. Preet also details a goal-led performance process powered by AI—goal suggestions, a living goal library, an “on/off track” mid-year, and year-end summaries pulled from emails and decks—which drove 96% review completion and 97% manager 1:1s. Expect clear criteria for bot vs. human, change management lessons after a global HCM rollout, and how HR shifts from “push” to “pull” by showing up with data, empathy, and a strategic POV.Timestamps[00:36] – From CPA to CPO: why HR must be business-first[02:22] – Inside TMS and Morgan Street Holdings: a “buy and hold” model and global footprint[03:25] – Creative, fast-moving culture: Happy Meal toys, T‑Mobile Tuesdays, and geopolitics[04:41] – Fixing manual HR ops with AI: SAP SuccessFactors + Jewel, and the case for logging everything[06:46] – Centralize, summarize, then go deep: using AI to bucket inquiries across EU/APMEA/NA[09:44] – Bot vs. human: timeliness/accuracy vs. nuance/sensitivity (immigration, FMLA, family)[13:19] – Goal-first performance: AI goal suggestions, a goal library, on/off-track mid-year, AI-aided year-end[16:46] – Outcomes and brand shift: 96% review completion, 97% 1:1s, and moving HR from push to pullTakeaways- Centralize and summarize HR inquiries with AI to uncover training gaps, policy fixes, and regional needs.- Route tier-0/1 transactions to a chatbot; reserve experts for nuanced, sensitive, or multi-path issues.- Redesign performance around a few clear goals; use AI to suggest goals, craft feedback, and surface accomplishments.- Simplify checkpoints—“on track/off track”—to focus manager time where it matters most.- Measure adoption and communicate wins; high completion and 1:1 rates signal cultural momentum.- Use AI as a time-saver, not a truth source; validate outputs and keep humans at the center of decisions.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world's first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:36) - From CPA to CPO: Why HR Must Be Business-First (02:22) - Inside TMS and Morgan Street Holdings: Buy and Hold Model (03:25) - Creative Culture: Happy Meal Toys and Global Footprint (04:41) - Fixing Manual HR Ops: SAP SuccessFactors Chatbot and Logging (06:46) - Centralize Summarize Then Go Deep: AI Inquiry Bucketing (09:44) - Bot vs Human: Timeliness and Accuracy vs Nuance and Sensitivity (13:19) - Goal-First Performance: AI Goals Library and Year-End Reviews (16:46) - 96% Completion and HR Brand Shift: From Push to Pull
• Human-First AI in Healthcare: Guardrails, Frontline Wins, and HR’s New Playbook 07.04.2026 30min

  Human-First AI in Healthcare: Guardrails, Frontline Wins, and HR's New PlaybookHow do you make AI feel human-first in a mission-driven, frontline environment? Ashley Ridgeway-Washington—CEO and Principal Advisor at Leverage Group and former CHRO at JPS Health Network—shares a leadership-led approach to AI that elevates patient care by improving the employee experience. A rare blend of HR strategist, attorney, and executive coach (JD, MHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP), Ashley has led global DEI at Amazon and is a Deloitte Next Gen CHRO Academy alum. She breaks down high-impact frontline use cases—from real-time materials management to patient de-escalation in the palm of a caregiver's hand—and why AI fails when it's treated as a tech project instead of an operating model change. Ashley details the leadership behaviors AI now demands (humility, problem clarity, decision rights, and governance), how to redirect time from admin to high-touch work, and why "train AI like an intern" is a powerful design principle. She also tackles AI literacy and guardrails (including deepfake risks), what healthcare can borrow from Amazon's customer obsession and speed-to-value, and how HR can automate the rote (absence management, onboarding, off-cycle pay) to focus on coaching, succession, and talent. Plus, lightning-round advice on what to delegate to an agent tomorrow and the digital mindset HR leaders need next.TIMESTAMPS[00:45] – Guest intro: Ashley's path (JPS Health Network, Amazon, Leverage Group) and why healthcare needs human-first AI[02:00] – Frontline use cases: materials management, patient experience de-escalation—beyond diagnostics and rev cycle[02:44] – Where AI fails: unclear problems, weak data, no change management, and skills atrophy risks[05:35] – From admin to empathy: freeing leaders' time; using AI to check bias and tone while guarding against hallucinations[08:58] – Automating HR: "Ask Ashley," RPA for absence management, labor planning, onboarding, and off-cycle pay[12:46] – Lessons from Amazon: customer obsession, speed-to-value—without importing a ruthless edge[15:57] – Design principles: train AI like an intern (voice, tone, context); set "never delegate to AI" decisions and guardrails[18:22] – Literacy first: deepfakes, ethics, and why healthcare must invest in AI education for staff (and kids)TAKEAWAYS- Treat AI as a leadership and operating-model shift—define the problem, decision rights, data readiness, and change plan before tools.- Redirect admin time to human touch; use AI for both enterprise efficiency and individual productivity (bias/voice checks for leaders).- Automate the rote with RPA—absence management, labor planning, onboarding, and off-cycle pay—to unlock strategic HR work.- Borrow tech's customer obsession and speed-to-value while anchoring to mission, empathy, and clinical competence.- Train AI like an intern: codify voice, tone, and context; publish a "never delegate to AI" list; enforce governance and ethics.- Build AI literacy and guardrails across the workforce to prevent misuse (e.g., deepfakes), audit outputs, and avoid skills atrophy.SponsorThe Human Element is brought to you by Harper, Wisq’s always-on AI HR Generalist, transforming how work gets done.Powered by deep HR intelligence, Harper delivers instant, accurate, and empathetic support, from policy questions to performance coaching, so employees get answers fast and HR teams can focus on strategic work. By handling routine HR requests and automating everyday workflows, Harper helps organizations scale people operations while maintaining a human-centered employee experience.Learn more and see Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/. (00:45) - Guest Intro: Ashley's Path from JPS Health to Amazon to Leverage Group (02:00) - Frontline Use Cases: Materials Management and Patient De-Escalation (02:44) - Where AI Fails: Unclear Problems Weak Data and Skills Atrophy (05:35) - From Admin to Empathy: Freeing Time and Guarding Against Hallucinations (08:58) - Automating HR: Ask Ashley RPA Absence Management and Labor Planning (12:46) - Lessons from Amazon: Customer Obsession and Speed-to-Value (15:57) - Design Principles: Train AI Like an Intern and Set Guardrails (18:22) - Literacy First: Deepfakes Ethics and AI Education
• From Purpose to AI Workers: CCC’s CHRO on Scaling AI Without Losing Humanity 03.04.2026 25min

  From Purpose to AI Workers: CCC's CHRO on Scaling AI Without Losing HumanityIf you're embedding AI "everywhere," how do you move fast without losing your human center—or burning out your leaders? Christy Harris, SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at CCC Intelligent Solutions, shares how the 45-year-old, $1B+ AI-powered SaaS company is modernizing the auto claims ecosystem while transforming how its own people work. Christy explains CCC's consumer-first "tiebreaker" for tough trade-offs, why "AI everywhere" means embedding AI in daily workflows (not turning everyone into data scientists), and how purpose and storytelling keep teams grounded amid change. She dives into the emerging reality of leading both humans and AI workers, the importance of clear feedback loops (for agents and people), and how AI can coach managers in the moment. Christy also tackles leader capacity—what it takes to move with pace without tipping into burnout—and why internal AI adoption is a cultural shift, not just a technical one. Expect practical moves, from building AI fluency to launching CCC's first AI worker in T&E, plus a call for HR leaders to be architects of the future, not bystanders.TIMESTAMPS[01:09] – The problem CCC solves and why auto claims need modernization now[03:01] – Balancing product AI with workforce change; the consumer-first tiebreaker[04:06] – "AI everywhere" defined: embed in drafting, analysis, and prioritization; anchor in purpose[09:53] – Move with pace and "fall in love with the problem, not the solution"[12:37] – Leading humans and AI workers: feedback clarity and AI as a coach for managers[17:59] – Leader capacity and burnout: supporting managers through fast change[24:14] – Internal vs. product AI: adoption is cultural; build AI fluency and lead from the front[24:38] – CCC's first AI worker in T&E: removing a high-friction employee pain pointTAKEAWAYS- Anchor change in purpose and customer impact to reduce fear and keep teams aligned.- Enroll, over-communicate, and create open forums—then listen and iterate.- Embed AI in daily work (drafting, analysis, prioritization) so people focus on judgment and relationships.- Train leaders to manage humans and AI workers; practice clear, corrective feedback and use AI to coach better.- Move with pace and a challenger mindset—fall in love with the problem, not the solution.- Treat internal AI as a culture change: build AI fluency, start with high-friction processes (e.g., T&E), and protect leader capacity to prevent burnout.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world's first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (01:09) - The problem CCC solves and why auto claims need modernization now (03:01) - Balancing product AI with workforce change; the consumer-first tiebreaker (04:06) - AI everywhere defined: embed in drafting, analysis, and prioritization; anchor in purpose (09:53) - Move with pace and "fall in love with the problem, not the solution" (12:37) - Leading humans and AI workers: feedback clarity and AI as a coach for managers (17:59) - Leader capacity and burnout: supporting managers through fast change (24:14) - Internal vs. product AI: adoption is cultural; build AI fluency and lead from the front (24:38) - CCC's first AI worker in T&E: removing a high-friction employee pain point
• Caring for Caregivers: Stony Brook’s CHRO on Compensation, Culture, and Practical AI 30.03.2026 35min

  SummaryHow do you build a people strategy for a high-trust, high-stakes environment where your “customers” are caregivers? Colette Brown, Chief Human Resources Officer at Stony Brook University Hospital, shares how her team centers HR on mission, fixes pay with data, and uses practical AI to return time to human moments. With strong alignment from CEO Carol Gomes, Colette led a compensation overhaul grounded in market reviews and role prioritization—driving vacancy down from 18% to 3%, turnover from 22% to 7%, and engagement from the 7th to the 55th percentile. She unpacks how Stony Brook avoids the “poof, you’re a leader” trap with hands-on manager development, a prescriptive 90-day onboarding and buddy program, and a culture of gratitude—right down to a dedicated Resilience Room. Colette also details where AI already works in healthcare HR and clinical workflows: policy analysis, job descriptions, tone checks, and ambient scribes that improve listening while preserving human review. She closes with hiring for values and aptitude (teach the rest) and a coaching approach that targets behaviors—not attitudes—so leaders build performance and dignity at the same time.Timestamps[00:45] – Guest intro and the reality of “caring for the caregivers”[03:45] – Centering HR on mission: linking engagement to patient experience[07:10] – Compensation overhaul: market reviews, prioritization, and leadership alignment[10:10] – Results from pay investments: vacancy, turnover, and engagement turnarounds[12:33] – From star clinician to capable manager: building real leadership development[14:52] – Culture that sticks: 90-day onboarding, gratitude, and the Resilience Room[17:25] – Practical AI: policy analysis, job descriptions, and ambient scribes with human review[25:21] – Coach behaviors, not attitudes: “pinpointing” to drive changeTakeaways- Anchor HR decisions to mission and patient experience to sustain alignment and energy.- Fix pay first: run market reviews, prioritize high-impact roles, and secure CEO/CFO sponsorship.- Replace “poof, you’re a leader” with structured, hands-on manager training and clear expectations.- Design culture into the first 90 days—buddy programs, frequent check-ins, and visible recognition.- Use AI to shed tedium (policy comparisons, JDs, tone checks) and adopt ambient scribes to improve listening—always with human validation.- Hire for values, curiosity, and aptitude; teach the rest. Coach on observed behaviors, not attitudes, to improve performance with dignity.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world's first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest intro and the reality of caring for the caregivers (03:45) - Centering HR on mission: linking engagement to patient experience (07:10) - Compensation overhaul: market reviews, prioritization, and leadership alignment (10:10) - Results from pay investments: vacancy, turnover, and engagement turnarounds (12:33) - From star clinician to capable manager: building real leadership development (14:52) - Culture that sticks: 90-day onboarding, gratitude, and the Resilience Room (17:25) - Practical AI: policy analysis, job descriptions, and ambient scribes with human review (25:21) - Coach behaviors: building performance and dignity at the same time
• Human-Centered AI in HR: EDF’s CHRO on Deepfakes and Keeping Hiring Human 27.03.2026 25min

  SummaryIn mission-driven organizations, trust isn’t optional—so how do you adopt AI without losing the human element or opening new risks? Elizabeth Mattila, Chief Human Resources Officer at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), shares a pragmatic playbook for using AI in HR while protecting culture, candidates, and company data. From her first “wow” moment with ChatGPT to today’s realities—deepfakes, resume automation, and high-volume recruiting—Elizabeth explains where AI adds real value and where humans must stay in the loop. She details how EDF is training recruiters to spot synthetic identities, exploring vendor partners for deepfake detection, and factoring AI’s environmental footprint into tech decisions. Elizabeth also digs into practical wins: using AI for executive summaries after workshops, triaging inbox overload, and translating employment-law changes into plain English. Expect a grounded approach: pilot AI to speed resume screening, keep interviews live and conversational, and set clear guardrails so AI assists—but never replaces—sensitive people work.Timestamps[00:45] – Guest intro: EDF’s mission and Elizabeth’s first “wow” with ChatGPT[03:43] – Tool with caution: resume help vs. overuse and the rise of deepfakes[06:05] – Security risk in hiring: training recruiters and why AI education is table stakes[08:36] – Vendor landscape and EDF’s lens: spotting deepfakes and weighing environmental impact[11:49] – AI in recruiting: where to automate—and why prerecorded video isn’t the answer[17:05] – Practical wins: inbox triage, exec summaries, and boiling down legal changes[19:33] – Guardrails that keep AI from “doing your job” while preserving speed and trust[22:50] – Lightning round: protections, misconceptions, and AI red lines in HRTakeaways- Train recruiters to detect deepfakes; evaluate specialist vendors and bake controls into hiring.- Pilot AI for resume triage and legal summarization, then layer human review for fit and nuance.- Keep first-round interviews live; avoid prerecorded video screens that strip out human signals.- Set clear guardrails: AI can draft resumes and summaries—never run sensitive employee relations.- Weigh AI’s environmental impact alongside ethics, security, and business value.- Invest in AI education for HR teams to move thoughtfully—not fearfully—at the right pace for your org.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world's first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest intro: EDF's mission and Elizabeth's first wow with ChatGPT (03:43) - Tool with caution: resume help vs. overuse and the rise of deepfakes (06:05) - Security risk in hiring: training recruiters and why AI education is table stakes (08:36) - Vendor landscape and EDF's lens: spotting deepfakes and weighing environmental impact (11:49) - AI in recruiting: where to automate and why prerecorded video isn't the answer (17:05) - Practical wins: inbox triage, exec summaries, and boiling down legal changes (19:33) - Guardrails that keep AI from doing your job while preserving speed and trust (22:50) - Lightning round: protections, misconceptions, and AI red lines in HR
• Reimagining Work with AI: Brunswick’s CHRO on Onboarding, Service Ops, and HR Governance 02.03.2026 33min

  SummaryHow do you embed AI into HR across a complex, manufacturing-led enterprise without losing momentum, or quality? Jill Wrobel, Chief Human Resources Officer at Brunswick Corporation (Mercury Marine, Boston Whaler, Sea Ray), shares how her team is turning survey insights (“we have too much work”) into structured pilots and end-to-end redesigns. Jill explains why HR must pair quick wins—LLMs for TA notes, job descriptions, and policy queries—with deeper process rethinks like onboarding. She details a “future of HR work” hackathon, lessons from an HR Q&A bot that needed a quality reset, and how HRBPs are co-innovating with supply chain using multimodal AI to analyze tens of thousands of CAD drawings for tariff/material modeling. On the product side, she spotlights AutoCaptain—autonomous docking—and the skills engine behind it. Jill also covers AI in service workflows to handle seasonal spikes, the staffing realities of Freedom Boat Club, and where AI can accelerate M&A diligence and integration planning.Finally, she unpacks governance with IT, legal, privacy, and cyber; why HR houses Brunswick’s Enterprise Transformation Office; and the leadership mindset shift from “speeding up current tasks” to true end-to-end transformation.Timestamps[00:45] – Guest intro: Brunswick’s global footprint and why boating builds community[02:13] – From “too much work” to AI pilots: building a compensation agent and early hiccups[04:45] – Redesign before you automate: onboarding, TA with LLMs, and lessons from an HR Q&A bot[07:42] – HRBPs as innovators: multimodal AI on CAD drawings to model tariffs and upskill teams[10:47] – Product-side AI: AutoCaptain and the skills behind autonomous docking[13:09] – Rethinking ROI: beyond efficiency tweaks to end-to-end transformation and cultural agility[18:51] – Seasonality and service ops: AI for manuals/parts; Freedom Boat Club hiring at scale; where M&A gains from AI[27:50] – Governance that works: aligning HR, IT, legal, privacy, and cyber; HR’s Enterprise Transformation OfficeTakeaways- Run a “future of HR work” hackathon to surface pain points and co-build targeted AI agents.- Redesign fragmented processes (e.g., onboarding) before layering automation; measure quality and iterate.- Apply multimodal AI to complex files (CAD, service manuals) to free experts for higher-value strategy.- Build cross-functional AI governance and prioritize investments; centralize momentum via a transformation office.- Upskill leaders on AI fundamentals and shared definitions to reduce confusion and improve decisions.- Treat adoption as change management: over-communicate, support longer than you think, and aim for employee self-service to relieve HR.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest intro: Brunswick's global footprint and why boating builds community (02:13) - From too much work to AI pilots: building a compensation agent and early hiccups (04:45) - Redesign before you automate: onboarding, TA with LLMs, and lessons from an HR Q&A bot (07:42) - HRBPs as innovators: multimodal AI on CAD drawings to model tariffs and upskill teams (10:47) - Product-side AI: AutoCaptain and the skills behind autonomous docking (14:27) - Rethinking ROI: beyond efficiency tweaks to end-to-end transformation and cultural agility (18:51) - Seasonality and service ops: AI for manuals and parts; Freedom Boat Club hiring at scale; where M&A gains from AI (27:50) - Governance that works: aligning HR, IT, legal, privacy, and cyber; HR's Enterprise Transformation Office
• Start with the Work: Learn Behavioral’s CPO on HR‑Led AI, Fluency, and the “Magic Wand” Method 05.01.2026 28min

  SummaryBuying the shiniest AI won’t transform your org—redesigning the work will. Maggie Ruvoldt, Chief People Officer at Learn Behavioral, a national leader in ABA therapy for children and young adults with autism, lays out a practical, people-first blueprint for AI adoption that HR should lead. She reframes success away from headcount cuts and toward real operating gains—think shipped automated workflows, automation coverage, and organizational fluency. Maggie shares the “magic wand” exercise to surface repetitive, low-value tasks and, crucially, how to redeploy the time saved into innovation, empathy, and proactive work. She walks through process-mapping techniques, why fresh eyes and cross-functional “customers” matter, and how lightweight partners like Zapier can accelerate early wins. You’ll also hear why starting in Talent Acquisition is risky for culture and candidate experience, and how HR can build credibility by piloting AI within its own team before scaling with IT and operations.Timestamps[00:45] – Guest intro: Learn Behavioral’s mission and Maggie’s people-first lens on AI[01:06] – Biggest misconception: tool-first thinking vs. redesigning the work[02:31] – Beyond job cuts: workflow impact, automation coverage, and fluency as core metrics[04:55] – The “magic wand” exercise: creating capacity and deciding how to use it[08:36] – Case study: a resistant team embraces AI when time saved funds “dream projects”[12:18] – Process mapping: end goals, fresh eyes, and cross-functional customers (plus Zapier)[17:18] – Why HR should lead AI: build fluency in-house and partner with tech on shared goals[23:46] – Don’t start with TA: protect candidate experience and automate the right momentsTakeaways- Start with the work, not the tool—redesign roles and workflows before selecting technology.- Measure what matters: ship automated workflows, track automation coverage, and raise team fluency.- Use the “magic wand” exercise to identify low-value tasks and pre-plan how saved time will be reinvested.- Redesign end-to-end processes with cross-functional customers and fresh eyes; don’t just “plug in” bots.- Pilot AI inside HR to build hands-on fluency and credibility; share small wins to spark demand.- Protect candidate experience—avoid leading with TA; automate thoughtfully while keeping real human connection.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest intro: Learn Behavioral's mission and Maggie's people-first lens on AI (01:06) - Biggest misconception: tool-first thinking vs. redesigning the work (02:31) - Beyond job cuts: workflow impact, automation coverage, and fluency as core metrics (04:55) - The magic wand exercise: creating capacity and deciding how to use it (08:36) - Case study: a resistant team embraces AI when time saved funds dream projects (12:18) - Process mapping: end goals, fresh eyes, and cross-functional customers plus Zapier (17:18) - Why HR should lead AI: build fluency in-house and partner with tech on shared goals (23:46) - Don't start with TA: protect candidate experience and automate the right moments
• AI in a Regulated World: Eversana’s CHRO on Project Windex, TA Automation, and Governance 19.12.2025 27min

  In this episode of The Human Element, Fred Skinner, Chief Human Resources Officer at Eversana, shares a playbook from life sciences commercialization, where compliance and speed must coexist. He explains “Project Windex,” the company’s multi-year effort to clean data to create a more trustworthy AI. Fred details where they started and how AI in HR is changing the game.He also covers governance, the tools they use, and early steps in employee sentiment analytics with a roadmap for retention. Fred breaks down change management that accelerates adoption and the metrics he trusts most to judge pilots: productivity and quality. His advice for HR leaders is simple: just try it and measure.Chapters[Start] Guest Introduction: Barb introduces Fred Skinner, and they discuss his roles in HR leadership.01:31 Defining AI-for-HR Strategy: How companies like Eversana are defining AI in HR spaces to change the workspace.07:56 IO Psychology and AI in HR: How Fred is using his background to redefine the use of AI in HR.16:42 Employee Retention and Appreciation: Different tools available to help companies gauge their employee interest and how to improve.20:12 Driving Adoption: The biggest changes Eversana has made to increase their adoption of AI in HR workflows.Links and ResourcesEversanaConnect with Fred Skinner on LinkedInSponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest intro and the realities of HR in regulated life sciences (01:07) - Defining AI-for-HR strategy: enable the business with compliance rigor (02:38) - Project Windex: cleaning data/processes to kill tech debt and prep for AI (05:05) - First use cases: workflow automation and AI-powered TA (tailored intros, video screening, bias mitigation) (11:04) - Tools and outcomes: SmartRecruiters, Gemini vs. Copilot, hours saved, quality of hire (15:04) - Candidate experience: faster flow, clearer context—and the personalization trade-offs (17:10) - Reading employee sentiment today; building toward predictive retention risk (20:46) - Driving adoption: work instructions, prompts, and proof-point learning
• People-First AI in HR: SPS Commerce’s CHRO on Co‑Creation, Workday, and Coaching at Scale 17.12.2025 28min

  SummaryHow do you accelerate AI without losing the human element? Erica Koenig, Chief Human Resources Officer at SPS Commerce—the leader in supply chain cloud solutions—shares how her team is co-creating an AI-enabled future with employees while staying grounded in values and customer impact. Erica explains why curiosity, adaptability, and critical thinking are the leadership capabilities that matter most, and how SPS is using practical pilots to prove value—like Gong-powered sales coaching and an AI “performance management coach” that improves feedback and goal setting. She breaks down scaling HR in a global, acquisitive business with Workday as a single source of truth, the role of predictive people analytics, and how compliance and risk get easier with AI. Expect candid guidance on transparency, human-first design, ethical guardrails, and “perpetual beta”—plus what HR must unlearn to become capability builders in an AI era.Timestamps[00:45] – Guest intro: Erica Koenig, SPS Commerce’s CHRO and the people-first approach to AI[01:13] – Co-creating AI with employees: pilots, leadership capabilities (curiosity, adaptability, critical thinking), and aligning to values[04:11] – Global scaling with AI: workforce planning by market, acquisitions, Workday, and predictive people analytics[06:45] – Compliance and risk: using AI to track regulations and reduce administrative load[07:59] – Real pilot: Gong insights → targeted sales coaching and self-learning[09:30] – AI “performance management coach”: better reviews, continuous feedback, and stronger goals[11:22] – Building trust: transparency, human-in-the-loop, and why the conversation matters more than authorship[14:00] – Human-first design and personalization at scale: reducing bias, designing guardrails, and tailoring development[18:54] – What HR must unlearn: change fatigue, “perpetual beta,” and shifting from process owners to capability builders[25:00] – Lightning round: AI isn’t a project, measuring adoption/sentiment, and why SPS chose a consolidated platformTakeaways- Involve employees early—run pilots and co-create to increase adoption and reduce fear.- Build leadership capabilities for AI: curiosity, adaptability, and critical thinking.- Use AI to remove low-value tasks so people can double down on relationships, innovation, and customer impact.- Stand up practical use cases: call coaching from conversation data and an AI-assisted performance review/goal process to enable continuous feedback.- Consolidate core systems (e.g., Workday) for a single source of truth, then plug in specialized tools as needed.- Measure what matters: track employee adoption and sentiment; be transparent, set ethical guardrails, and test for bias with humans in the loop.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Guest Intro: Erica Koenig, SPS Commerce CHRO (01:13) - Co-Creating AI with Employees (04:11) - Global Scaling with AI and Workday (06:45) - Compliance and Risk with AI (07:59) - Pilot: Gong-Powered Sales Coaching (09:30) - AI Performance Management Coach (11:22) - Building Trust and Transparency (14:00) - Human-First Design and Personalization (18:54) - What HR Must Unlearn (25:00) - Lightning Round
• Unlocking Productivity with Purpose: How Unleashed Brand's CPO is Building an AI-Ready 15.12.2025 28min

  SummaryWhat does it take to build a culture that embraces AI without fear?In this episode of The Human Element, Barb sits down with Diane Sanford, Chief People Officer at Unleashed Brands, the franchise platform behind Urban Air, Snapology, and The Little Gym. With over 25 years of HR leadership experience, Diane shares how she’s guiding her organization through a new era of AI adoption anchored in trust, curiosity, and clarity.Diane reveals how her team is preparing leaders and employees for AI by fostering psychological safety, creating guardrails, and embedding AI into everyday workflows.From automating recruiting and onboarding to rethinking productivity and purpose, this conversation is packed with actionable ideas for any HR leader navigating the future of work.If you're looking to future-proof your workforce and lead through change with intention, this episode is for you.Timestamps[00:45] – Meet Diane Sanford and her role at Unleashed Brands[01:15] – Why psychological safety is key to AI adoption[03:56] – Hiring a work automation specialist and building AI fluency[06:46] – Leading with values across multiple brands[11:57] – Practical ways AI is streamlining recruiting and onboarding[16:40] – Blending data, AI, and human judgment in decision-making[20:18] – Guardrails for responsible AI use: the note-taker example[24:43] – Lightning round: misconceptions, metrics, and AI tool choices[29:40] – Diane’s advice for HR leaders just starting with AITakeawaysCreate psychological safety so employees feel empowered—not threatened—by AIBuild AI readiness by aligning leadership, using common language, and offering clear guidanceRedesign roles to eliminate redundancy and amplify high-value, human-centric workLeverage AI tools to improve hiring, onboarding, and engagement without losing the human touchLead with values—your team’s experience will shape the customer’s experienceBalance speed with scrutiny—always validate AI outputs through human context and conversationSponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (00:45) - Meet Diane Sanford and Her Role at Unleashed Brands (01:15) - Why Psychological Safety Is Key to AI Adoption (03:56) - Hiring a Work Automation Specialist and Building AI Fluency (06:46) - Leading with Values Across Multiple Brands (11:57) - Practical Ways AI Is Streamlining Recruiting and Onboarding (16:40) - Blending Data AI and Human Judgment in Decision-Making (20:18) - Guardrails for Responsible AI Use: The Note-Taker Example (24:43) - Lightning Round: Misconceptions Metrics and AI Tool Choices (27:30) - Diane's Advice for HR Leaders Just Starting with AI
• Keeping It Human: Sanford Health’s CHRO on AI Self‑Service, Guardrails, and Power Skills 04.12.2025 30min

  SummaryIf your workforce runs 24/7, employees can’t wait until business hours for answers. DJ Campbell, Vice President and Chief HR Officer at Sanford Health (Bismarck market), shares how to use AI self-service to cut friction for a 60,000-employee system while keeping the experience human. He outlines what must be true before greenlighting tools—readiness, education, and myth-busting—and how to run a focused 90-day pilot that actually proves value. DJ explains the cross-functional table needed in healthcare (HR, IT, legal, clinical), the guardrails that are non-negotiable (HIPAA-grade security, governance), and the integrations that make or break adoption (HRIS, ticketing). He also gets practical on reskilling without layoffs through attrition planning, individualized development, and elevating “soft skills” to “power skills.” Expect specifics on measuring ROI and employee sentiment, where AI fits first (think performance management and coding), and why leaders should “be curious, not judgmental” as they guide teams through AI-driven change.Timestamps[01:21] – Why AI self-service for a 24/7 workforce; top employee pain points[05:02] – What must be true to greenlight AI: readiness, education, and cross-functional buy-in[07:42] – Designing a 90-day pilot: start with one use case and early adopters[10:09] – Keeping it human: myth-busting, informal influencers, reassurance not replacement[12:42] – Measuring adoption: usage, time saved, and smart feedback loops[15:18] – Reskilling without layoffs: attrition planning, coding, and “power skills”[18:53] – Guardrails and vendors: HIPAA-grade security, governance, and must-have integrations[23:43] – Lightning round: automate performance reviews, 2026 metrics, leader adviceTakeaways- Start with one high-friction self-service use case (e.g., benefits, requisitions, performance) and pilot with early adopters who will give actionable feedback.- Build readiness first: educate on what AI is/isn’t, debunk myths, and position AI as support—not replacement—while recruiting informal influencers in every department.- Measure what matters: track usage and time saved, then add targeted engagement-survey items to diagnose adoption barriers and iterate.- Plan reskilling through attrition: map retirements/turnover, redesign roles, and fund individual development—especially for coding-adjacent functions.- Elevate “power skills” (communication, listening, EQ) as the leadership differentiators in an AI-enabled workplace.- Demand healthcare-grade guardrails: HIPAA-level security, AI governance, and seamless integrations with HRIS and ticketing from day one.SponsorWisq introduces Harper, the world’s first AI HR generalist designed to act like a virtual HR generalist for every employee. No more waiting on emails or digging through policies—Harper gives your team instant answers to HR questions, helps them navigate benefits and policies, and even routes more complex cases to the right person.By handling the repetitive requests, Harper frees up your HR team to focus on strategy and people, while ensuring employees always feel supported. It’s a smarter, more consistent way to deliver HR services at scale.See Harper in action at https://www.wisq.com/ (01:21) - Why AI Self-Service for a 24/7 Workforce; Top Employee Pain Points (05:02) - What Must Be True to Greenlight AI: Readiness Education and Buy-In (07:42) - Designing a 90-Day Pilot: One Use Case and Early Adopters (10:09) - Keeping It Human: Myth-Busting Influencers and Reassurance (12:42) - Measuring Adoption: Usage Time Saved and Feedback Loops (15:18) - Reskilling Without Layoffs: Attrition Planning and Power Skills (18:53) - Guardrails and Vendors: HIPAA Security Governance and Integrations (23:43) - Lightning Round: Performance Reviews 2026 Metrics and Leader Advice