The year 2026 could well bring "an absolute schism" between old ways of working and new approaches for human resources, one professional says, while arguing that HR needs to find new and better ways to have a real impact moving forward.

In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy welcomes back author and middle management expert Rebecca Houghton to discuss what a car accident taught her about the place and importance (or otherwise) of middle management, her key takeaways for HR from the past 12 months, how HR teams are feeling about the rapid pace of change in the market, and what it means to have a real impact in HR.

Houghton also delves into the questions that HR needs to ask of itself to take the right steps in the new year, the key skills and traits that HR professionals need to demonstrate in 2026 and beyond, rethinking your role in human resources, hurdles to overcome, the recipe for success, and her level of optimism that HR can have a true impact in their businesses moving forward.

In this special episode of The HR Leader Podcast, produced in partnership with Deel, we explore the extent to which artificial intelligence has revolutionised the global workforce and what that means moving forward.

Host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with Deel head of policy Nick Catino about the company's recent research into how AI has upended workforces globally, how Australian businesses are leading the way, how AI is already replacing jobs, how technology makes people's lives better, and how businesses are increasingly taking a proactive approach to the use of AI and other emerging technologies.

Catino also delves into the rapid pace of change in just the last two years, how the labour force is specifically being reshaped and will continue to evolve, how competitive dynamics across borders will continue to change, flow-on consequences for hiring and broader HR practices, why data is a need-to-have (not a nice-to-have), and how best HR teams can lean in.

To learn more about Deel, click here.

Feelings of fun and happiness play a significant role in offsetting the stressors and rigours of working life. Here, an Auckland-based academic dives into the need for businesses to get creative in ensuring staff engagement and the critical role that HR must play in doing so.

In this episode of The HR Leader Podcast, host Jerome Doraisamy speaks with University of Auckland Business School Associate Professor Barbara Plester about her research into humour and fun in the workplace and why it's of such interest to her, the extent to which the pandemic shifted workers' levels of happiness, workers' level of connection post-COVID-19, and how critical creativity has become in keeping workers engaged.

Plester also delves into how the pandemic has correlated with an uptick in worker happiness, whether it had led to greater productivity, movement away from standardised approaches to wellbeing, the place for worker autonomy, employer limitations on flexibility, practical steps that employers should be taking to ensure optimal levels of employee happiness and striking the right balance with business objectives, and the role of HR managers in doing so.