Artificial intelligence isn’t just changing how we work—it’s reshaping how we hire.

In this episode, hosts Tim Cynova and Katrina Donald explore the impact of AI on hiring practices. Joined by their unique, algorithmic guest—Chad Geepet (pronounced GPT 😉), part thought partner, part mirror, and all algorithm—they unpack what AI is really doing to hiring systems, not just in headlines but in the messy middle where résumés, interviews, and algorithms now mingle.

Drawing on eight recent studies and articles, they explore:

• Learning to Speak Algorithm: How job seekers and employers are adapting to (and gaming) A.I. systems — and what that reveals about a hiring culture that prizes efficiency over connection.
• A.I. Interviews and the Illusion of Fairness: Exploring why structured doesn’t always mean just, and how transparency can restore trust in the interview process.
• Invisible Filters: Where bias hides in plain sight — inside the data, the design choices, and even our definitions of “professionalism.”
• Trust and Transparency as the New Currency: How sharing how the system works can turn skepticism into credibility.
• From Risk to Responsibility: Designing for Care: How bias audits, explainability, and “A.I. use statements” can shift compliance from checkbox to culture — turning care into a competitive edge.

Together, Tim, Katrina, and Chad explore the tensions between efficiency and care, risk and responsibility, asking questions like: What would it look like to design hiring as an act of care? And how do we make sure that technology reflects our values—not the other way around?

Whether you’re a job seeker navigating an algorithmic gauntlet or an HR leader experimenting with new tools, this conversation offers both insight and invitation: to build hiring processes that are transparent and deeply human.

📺 Watch the animated edition of the podcast episode!

Highlights:

• 01:39 Meet Chad Geepet: An Algorithmic Guest
• 02:49 The Big Story: Trust in Hiring
• 04:03 Theme 1: Learning to Speak Algorithm
• 06:41 Reactive Creativity in Job Seeking
• 17:09 Theme 2: AI Interviews and the Illusion of Fairness
• 26:46 Theme 3: Invisible Filters: Bias in Data and Design
• 33:16 The Importance of Bias Audits
• 34:21 AI as a Mirror in Hiring
• 35:05 Feedforward Loops and Cultural Impact
• 35:59 Layers of Transparency and Accountability
• 37:42 Theme 4: Trust and Transparency as the New Currency
• 38:18 Transparency as a Competitive Advantage
• 46:54 Theme 5: From Risk to Responsibility: Designing for Care in Hiring
• 1:00:32 The Future of AI in Hiring

• "Recruiters Use A.I. to Scan Résumés. Applicants Are Trying to Trick It" by Evan Gorelick (The New York Times, Oct 2025)
• "Job Interviews Are Broken: People are sneaking...

Construction sits at the intersection of some of today’s most urgent challenges—workforce shortages, climate change, housing insecurity, and culture change. It’s also where solutions are being built, literally and figuratively.

In this episode, host Tim Cynova continues the Climate Justice HR series with Mel Baiser and Kate Stephenson, co-founders of HELM Construction Solutions, a people- and planet-forward consulting firm helping construction companies transform their culture, strengthen business resilience, and lead on climate action.

They explore:

• What it means to embed justice, care, and clarity into hiring, leadership, and everyday operations.
• Why construction’s cultural transformation could unlock lessons for every sector.
• How HELM helps companies evolve from “chaotic job sites” to thriving, values-aligned workplaces.
• The industry’s overlapping crises—from labor shortages and mental-health challenges to ICE raids and climate emergencies.
• How coaching, community-building, and shared learning can shift entire systems, not just individual job sites.

Despite the gravity of the challenges, Mel and Kate also share a deep sense of hope—that by centering connection, humility, and interdependence, we can build not only structures but the systems that sustain us.

• 01:06 Meet the Guests: Kate Stephenson and Mel Baiser
• 02:19 Personal Backgrounds and Career Paths
• 07:30 The Origin and Vision of HELM Construction Solutions
• 12:55 Challenges in the Construction Industry
• 16:38 HELM's Approach to Addressing Industry Challenges
• 28:09 Leadership and Business Development
• 41:51 Climate Justice and Workforce Issues
• 51:11 Client Success Stories and Future Vision

• Recording of the event “Building Solidarity: Construction Workers, Jobsite Safety, and ICE” mentioned during the episode.
• HELM Resource Library containing a wealth of materials to inform, support (and occasionally entertain) you as you develop your company.
• HELM Job Board if you're looking to join a forward-looking company with a great work culture.

ABOUT MEL BAISER | Co-Founder & Director of Vision & Strategy, HELM

Mel (they/them) believes in the transformative potential of the construction sector. This industry, which contributes nearly 40% of the carbon emissions wreaking havoc on our planet, is well positioned to become a catalyst for change in the movement for climate justice. Mel is passionate about making that happen. One could say Mel was destined to enter the construction trades. A 7th-generation Vermonter, they come from a long line of builders and homesteaders.

After years working as a residential carpenter, project manager, and estimator in both the San Francisco Bay Area and New England, Mel couldn’t ignore the tremendous opportunities for improvement they saw for the industry. With a degree in sociology, decades of organizing experience, and a desire to engage with the building world, Mel co-founded HELM to provide a

Nonprofit teams. City governments. Unionizing workplaces. Pet pics in the team Slack thread. No matter the setting, one thing is certain: conflict is going to show up.

But what if conflict isn’t the problem—it’s the way we relate to it that matters?

In this episode, Tim Cynova is joined by facilitators, coaches, and organizational practitioners Navida Nuraney and Camille Dumond to explore the Lewis Method of Deep Democracy, a practical and surprisingly playful framework for navigating disagreement, surfacing unspoken truths, and building real relational capacity in teams.

We explore what makes Deep Democracy distinct from traditional facilitation approaches, why it matters more than ever in today’s complex workplaces, and how even seemingly small tensions—like whether your team’s Slack channel should be for logistics or life updates—can benefit from the tools and mindset Deep Democracy offers.

And in true WSS style, we don’t just talk about the framework—we try it out! Together, Tim, Navida, and Camille take the “Debate Tool” for a spin, exploring the polarity between “Just do the job” and “Bring your whole(ish) self to work.” Spoiler: You might agree with both.

• 03:55 Understanding the Lewis Method of Deep Democracy
• 05:47 Practical Tools for Navigating Conflict
• 10:30 Personal Experiences with Deep Democracy
• 17:07 Applying Deep Democracy in Organizations
• 20:41 The Importance of Addressing Conflict Now
• 23:50 Exploring the Debate Tool
• 24:34 Exploring the Polarity of Bringing Your Whole Self to Work
• 29:58 Debating the “Just Do the Job” Perspective
• 33:16 Balancing Both Sides: Insights and Reflections
• 37:03 Practical Applications and Tools for Conflict Resolution
• 41:00 Upcoming Opportunities

• Lewis Deep Democracy
• Waterline Co-op
• Role Theory Companion: Applying Deep Democracy ($16 CAD) Camille Dumond's book exploring the secret sauce behind the method; includes a number of leadership applications.
• International Association of Process Oriented Psychology
• Work Won’t Love You Back by Sarah Jaffe

ABOUT CAMILLE DUMOND

Camille (she/they) is a settler of Indo-Caribbean and French-Irish descent living on unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Her practice is as a somatic therapist, conflict and group facilitator. With over 20 years experience facilitating change processes, she brings depth psychology, social movement analysis, and embodied spirituality to organizational change. This allows her to support a sense of center and even playfulness in complex, emergent situations. Camille co-founded the Refugee Livelihood Lab with Nada Elmasry to amplify the impact and transformational influence of racialized leaders with lived experience of forced displacement and migration. She is principal at Dignity Facilitation.

ABOUT