Episodios

  • Bob Pulver - Maintaining Personal Agency Through AI Integration

    Bob Pulver - Maintaining Personal Agency Through AI Integration
    Nov 20 2025
    Bob Pulver, host of the Elevate Your AIQ podcast and a 25-year enterprise tech and innovation veteran, joins us this week to unpack the urgent need to move past "AI" as a buzzword and define what "Responsible AI" truly means for organizations. He shares his insights on why we are all responsible for AI, how to balance playing "defense" (risk mitigation) and "offense" (innovation), and why we must never outsource our critical thinking and human agency to these new tools. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Bob! Today’s Topic: Defining Responsible AI and Responsible Innovation [12:25] What Does “Responsible AI” Mean? Why elements (like fairness in decision-making, data provenance, and privacy) must be built-in "by design," not bolted on later. In an era where everyone is a "builder," we are all responsible for the tools we use and create. [25:48] The Two Sides of Responsible Innovation The "responsibility" side involves mitigating risk, ensuring fairness, and staying human-centric—it’s like playing defense. The "innovation" side involves driving growth, entering new markets, and reinvesting efficiency gains—it’s like playing offense. [41:58] Why don’t we use AI to give us a 4-day work week? The critical need for leaders to separate their personal biases from data-driven facts. AI’s role in recent layoffs. [50:27] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “We're all responsible for Responsible AI, whatever your role is. You're either using it or abusing it . . . or you're building it or you're testing it.”
    Más Menos
    53 m
  • Noah Mithrush - Why Your HR Tech Isn't Being Adopted (and How to Fix It)

    Noah Mithrush - Why Your HR Tech Isn't Being Adopted (and How to Fix It)
    Nov 13 2025
    Noah Mithrush, Director of Growth Marketing at Guusto, joins us live from the UKG Aspire Conference to unpack the critical intersection of User Experience (UX) and Employee Experience (EX) in HR technology. Noah explains why so many HR programs fail to gain adoption and how even the best intentions can be derailed by a poor user experience. We discuss how to get into the user’s mindset, why HR tech should be as easy to use a consumer app, and how making the emotional journey of an employee is the key to success. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Noah! Today’s Topic: Rethinking User Experience to Improve Employee Experience & Program Adoption [3:53] What do people get right and wrong about user experience? Why good intentions often fail, and the common mistake of not considering all technology touchpoint for the end-user The problem of designing programs that are manually intensive for managers [10:43] How do you get into the users’ mindset to align UX and EX? Going beyond just mapping process steps to mapping the employee journey Why implementing "emotional IQ" into the design process is critical for driving program adoption [16:59] How does AI impact the employee experience? Using agentic processes to allow teams to do more with less The potential for AI to allow teams to "think differently" and fundamentally redesign the employee journey [22:28] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “What I see a lot of the time is what people get right is their intention. At the very beginning, they're trying to solve a problem . . . but when it comes to tech and the user experience, [they’re] not taking into consideration all of the points along the way of different technology [and] how the actual end-user (or employee) has to use and interact with it.”
    Más Menos
    24 m
  • Nate Rees - Tackling the $8.8 Trillion Manager Training Crisis

    Nate Rees - Tackling the $8.8 Trillion Manager Training Crisis
    Nov 6 2025
    Nate Rees, Director of Training and Talent Development at Salary.com, joins us this episode to discuss a critical issue facing organizations today: the manager training crisis. Nate shares alarming data on the percentage of managers promoted without receiving any training and the costly impact this has on turnover and productivity. We explore why organizations fail to invest in new managers, how a raise is not a substitute for training, and low-budget/high-impact strategies HR leaders can implement immediately to better support their new managers. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Nate! Today’s Topic: The Manager Training Crisis [6:25] What is the manager training crisis? 60% of new managers report receiving zero training for their role. New managers are split between their own quota and team development. [16:31] Why aren’t more organizations investing in manager training? Untrained managers’ teams have a 260% higher turnover rate. Organizations will pay a premium for external experienced managers but won’t invest in developing their internal talent. [22:29] How can HR leaders start to fix this? Create a zero-budget manager mentor program by leveraging your existing top managers. User simple conversation models like COIN (Context, Observation, Impact, Next). [33:43] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “60% [of managers] say they never received any training when they transitioned into their first leadership role... we're throwing them at the deep end of the pool and not giving them any swimming lessons.”
    Más Menos
    36 m
  • Carlee Wolfe - How to Find and Serve on a Nonprofit Board

    Carlee Wolfe - How to Find and Serve on a Nonprofit Board
    Oct 30 2025
    Carlee Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Talent and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt, joins the podcast for a special 250th episode! Carlee discusses the value, strategy, and importance of serving on nonprofit boards. She shares insights on how to find the right board that matches your passions and skills, why nonprofits need skilled volunteers, and how to be an effective contributing board member once you join. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Carlee Wolfe! Today’s Topic: The Value and Strategy of Joining a Nonprofit Board [9:28] What is the strategic value of joining a nonprofit board? Carlee’s story of learning how to get involved and discovering you can "just ask" Why nonprofits need skilled and passionate board members to serve [17:29] How do you find the right board to join? Starting by identifying your passions, skills, and available time commitment Using resources like national board matching services (e.g., Board Source) or local city programs [26:00] How to be an effective board member The importance of passion and commitment to making tough decisions Knowing your scope and capacity; avoid overcommitting to too many boards [28:07] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “I think the big thing about being on a board . . . is you are helping set the support and steward the strategic direction of the organization, right? You're that body that supports the ultimate mission of where the organization is heading.”
    Más Menos
    31 m
  • Garbage In, Garbage Out: Why Data Quality Matters in HR

    Garbage In, Garbage Out: Why Data Quality Matters in HR
    Oct 23 2025
    In this episode, David and Dwight dive into the critical and ever-present issue of poor data quality in HR and its cascading impact on the organization. They break the problem down into 3 key areas: recruiting, artificial intelligence, and pay transparency. They explore how recruiting often serves as the flawed entry point for employee data, discuss the dangers of training AI on biased information (which can lead to discriminatory practices like ageism), and examine the new data governance challenges posed by emerging pay transparency laws. [0:00] Introduction Today’s Topic: The Impact of Poor Data Quality on HR Today [5:24] How does poor data quality in recruiting create downstream problems? Recruiting is the first ingress of data into an organization, and it's often the least well-managed. Poor data can also originate from the company side, with issues like inaccurate job descriptions or incorrect FLSA classifications. [12:08] How can biased data lead to discriminatory AI in the hiring process? AI agents used in video interviews can reject qualified candidates based on flawed or biased training data. Companies that fail to address AI bias on the front end risk facing expensive lawsuits and will be forced to fix their systems later. [19:32] What are the data governance challenges presented by pay transparency laws? Pay transparency laws in several states require companies to disclose pay ranges for open roles also mandate that companies keep detailed records of salary structures, grade ranges, and hiring data for extended periods. Many organizations may need to update their data governance strategies to ensure they are retaining the necessary historical data to comply with these regulations and withstand potential audits. [24:31] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “As the demographic bubble for Gen X gets larger, companies can't ignore [AI bias in recruitment] anymore. They have to take it on, and that means they have to start training their artificial intelligence to not filter out all of us grays.”
    Más Menos
    28 m
  • Chad Atwell and Haris Ikram - Bridging the HR and Finance Divide in Workforce Planning

    Chad Atwell and Haris Ikram - Bridging the HR and Finance Divide in Workforce Planning
    Oct 16 2025
    Haris Ikram, Co-founder and CEO of CandorIQ, and Chad Atwell, Head of Customer Success and Advisory Services at CandorIQ, join us this episode to discuss the critical, yet often disconnected, relationship between HR and finance in workforce planning. They explore why these teams often operate in silos and how they can collaborate more effectively on headcount and compensation to drive business success. The conversation also gets into the changing definition of the workforce, the role of data in strategic planning, and how AI is shaping the future of work and employee skills. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Haris and Chad! Today’s Topic: Bridging the Gap Between HR and Finance in Workforce Planning [5:50] Why HR and finance teams don’t collaborate, even though they should The different objectives driving each team. How to manage a multifaceted and flexible approach to getting work done in the modern economy. [20:06] What’s workforce planning and what challenges might be present? Workforce planning is about having the right people—and now AI agents—in place to get the work done. How to manage a multifaceted and flexible approach to getting work done in the modern economy. [37:53] How AI and agents are influencing workforce planning How AI is automating tactical work, creating a greater need for employees with skills in critical thinking, creativity, and strategy. The importance of measuring the true productivity impact of AI over time, and why companies must be thoughtful about its implementation. [43:46] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “Layoffs cause an immense amount of harm for the companies as well. I mean, there's lots of research out there that will show dips or even just outright dives in company confidence, people's belief in future career opportunities, confidence in leadership.”
    Más Menos
    46 m
  • HR TENNESSEE: Compensation Planning Bootcamp

    HR TENNESSEE: Compensation Planning Bootcamp
    Oct 9 2025
    In this special solo episode, recorded live at the HR Tennessee Conference, David takes a deep dive into the fundamentals of compensation planning. He demystifies the complex processes behind pay decisions, breaking down everything from base pay and bonuses to the strategic importance of pay philosophy, market analysis, and effective communication. Listen in for a masterclass on how to build a fair, transparent, and effective compensation strategy. [0:00] Introduction Welcome to this special presentation! Today’s Topic: A Deep Dive into Compensation Planning [0:26] What Are the Core Components of Compensation? Breaking down the differences between base pay, bonuses, and incentives Navigating complex pay elements like overtime, tips, and perquisites (“perks”) [10:59] Building the Compensation Framework The essential strategic steps from pay philosophy and job analysis to market analysis and implementation Identifying the key players in the planning process, from executives and HR to managers and employees [22:43] How Can You Truly Pay for Performance? Why merit increases may no longer be an effective tool for driving performance in today's economy Aligning variable pay and bonuses with individual, team, and company performance for maximum impact [37:58] Compensation Planning in Action: Case Studies & Real-World Scenarios How to craft a compelling narrative around pay decisions to make them a true investment in employees Adapting compensation strategies for non-profits by focusing on mission-critical metrics [49:30] Q&A and Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “Incentive plans only work if the manager and the employee have a conversation and there's communication about why this happened . . . No one likes wasting money, and that lack of a story is a waste of money.”
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Misty Bolt - Demystifying the Medicare Maze

    Misty Bolt - Demystifying the Medicare Maze
    Oct 2 2025
    In this episode, which was recorded live from the HR Tennessee Conference in Nashville, David welcomes Misty Bolt, also known as "Medicare Misty." Misty demystifies the complexities of Medicare, explaining what it is and how it's funded, and she explains the critical differences between it and Medicaid. She also discusses the current state of Medicare, common misconceptions employees have as they approach retirement, and why early and continuous financial education is essential for ensuring a secure future. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Misty! Today’s Topic: Demystifying Medicare and Planning for a Secure Retirement [3:16] The Current State and Future of Medicare How recent legislation is impacting Medicare Advantage plans and doctor’s funding. Navigating disruptions as some insurance plans are terminated, and the importance of open enrollment. [7:03] Why Employees Are Unprepared for Retirement Decisions How to navigate being "thrown out to the wolves" with no transitional support after decades of your company making healthcare decisions for you. The challenge of suddenly having to make complex decisions about Medicare, Social Security, and long-term care all at once. [15:58] Proactive Steps for Financial Wellness and Retirement The importance of engaging a financial advisor early in your career to plan for the future. Using financial tools like Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) as a retirement tool, not just for medical expenses. [18:15] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “[When you retire] you're thrown out to the wolves and [navigating Medicare] is . . . so hard and so complicated that nobody understands it.”
    Más Menos
    22 m