NOW of Work – Details, episodes & analysis

Our Now of Work community welcomed Stacey Harris of Sapient Insights Group, Zach Chertok from IDC, and Stacia Garr of RedThread Research to the meetup. This uber smart panel of industry analyst friends joins us at the onset of a busy HR Tech fall conference season to help SUMMARIZE 📌 2024 so far and LOOK AHEAD 👀 to themes and challenges promising to carry us into 2025. So far, 2024 has been full of AI buzz, skills chatter, increased HR Technology investment, consolidation and optimization of tech stacks, and conservative growth. The global labor market continues to be challenged by inflation, geopolitical tensions, and technology changes. Employers struggle to retain talent and curb jobs growth amid waning GDP growth, but they're also dropping degree requirements and training workers for skilled tasks. Artificial Intelligence and the transition to net-zero emissions will have the biggest impact on jobs in the short term. Whether you're on the conference circuit this fall or heads down in boardrooms setting strategy for 2025, conversations are sure to be full of AI as a DOMINANT FORCE, transforming daily work routines into intelligent business processes. As always, data privacy and security will require rigorous problem solving and governance. AI will drive innovation in predictive analytics for talent, and we'll leverage design thinking to consider human-machine teaming in blended workforces with AI and bots. One thing is clear: human-centered technology is the Future of Work, and HR are the primary stewards of the human experience of work. Exciting, heady stuff, but much work to be done. LEARN, WEIGH IN, GET INSPIRED

We welcome Madeline Laurano back to our Meetup!
Are we getting a little broad and loose with the term Talent Intelligence? -- YEP. Madeline will explain. She'll also share new capabilities around #interview intelligence, hot-off-the-press insights from Workhuman, and a new research effort with Torin Ellis on reducing #bias with #AI.

Meet David Gloss, Head of Team Effectiveness at AIIR Consulting!

As most of us may know, burnout has become more prevalent than ever before. And the solution isn't to avoid it, but rather it's about finding ways to mitigate its impact since it's something that everyone will experience. Teams, whether they are intact or cross-functional, play a vital role in shaping a company's culture and productivity levels. This has always been true, but as the pace of change continues to accelerate, the ability of teams to establish connections, build trust, and adopt healthy ways of working becomes an even stronger indicator of employee health and performance.

David Gloss, Head of AIIR Consulting's Team Effectiveness Practice, leads a dynamic group that is dedicated to helping clients assess, measure, and enhance team performance across enterprise systems. Whether clients choose to tap into the expertise of AIIR's exceptional Consultants & Coaches or opt to license their Enterprise Team Effectiveness (ETE) system for internal use, they can rest assured that they have a reliable and trusted partner by their side. 

Dave's 15-year career as a business leader, has been driven by successfully scaling venture-backed tech companies and creative agencies. He's gained invaluable insights into what it takes to both succeed and come back from failure in rapidly changing industries and markets. He leverages the psychology of high performance to empower clients with the knowledge and strategies needed to overcome challenges such as difficult acquisitions, managing big personalities, revitalizing frozen teams, and breaking free from stagnant growth.

Take a listen to a lively community conversation about TECH!

We've never had better technology at our fingertips, and that includes solutions for the workforce. We're a bunch of bright, smart, innovative people with an appetite for tech - we've shown that in our consumer and personal lives. So why can't we get tech to do all it's capable of when it comes to the workplace? Why does work still feel so.....clunky? 1993? Mainframe?

Maybe we've made it too complicated. More likely, we're not taking the right approach. Does HR need to be a technologist to shape and support the digital workplace, or do they just need to be technology-aware problem solvers?

Jess and Leapgen's President and Chief Service Officer, Mike Brennan, welcomed Ray Nunn and Reid McLaughlin of Covalence Consulting to our Now of Work Community. They unpacked the differences between deployment and implementation, talked about how to get tech to produce the right outcomes and the mindset required for true transformation.

The world of events doesn't look like it did before, but what will return, what's changed, and what's BETTER? The physical event business has already bounced back, but like the workplace, it's more innovative, more digital, more hybrid, more communal and human. There are more virtual participation options, smaller meetups and watch parties surrounding bigger events, and enhanced engagement opportunities. There are pros (hybrid and digital experiences are more accessible!) and cons (making a case for physical attendance & investment is harder when virtual is an option).

But what do people really want? Zoom or hugs? Expo halls or a virtual collaboration? Big stage keynotes to inspire, or micro-content from the comfort of their kitchens?

Kathryn Frankson is a world-class digital experience creator, event marketer, and storyteller. She just executed one of the largest events of her career, and there's more up her sleeve. She offers insights on the world of digital experiences and events. Our virtual #NowofWork community is ready to host LIVE & IN-PERSON MEETUPS; no one better to help us sort it out. ;) Take a listen to learn how! 

Leadership is never easy. It demands all of you. We talk a lot about bringing our whole selves to work, leading with empathy, the power of authenticity in creating cultures of connection. What if you're a leader who also happens to be an LGBTQ person? 

You require safety and support, especially if you seek to create judgement-free, compassionate workplaces where people can show up as who they are. WHAT A WIN THAT WOULD BE. Fully empowered humans leading with their authentic selves, using their unique voice to lead and inspire others. That's the type of executive coaching Chris Rollins provides, he tells a powerful story, as we continue to honor and celebrate Pride Month. 

Listen in as we talk with Chris about the power of authenticity, leading with empathy, building coaching cultures, and being an LGBTQ+ leader

75% of the workforce face some kind of caregiving responsibility. 83% of those use sick or leave time to provide care, and here’s the real kicker: 92% report heightened stress, depression, or trouble sleeping.

Caregiving can be beautiful, an honor, and a deeply fulfilling part of our lives. But it can be a financial, social, emotional, and legal burden — and it certainly affects our productivity at work.

Lindsay Jurist-Rosner founded Wellthy to care for caregivers. From supportive health plans and services to inclusion and community, Wellthy makes it easier for caregivers to feel supported. They also suggest ways for employers to de-stigmatize caregiving in the workplace, showing them they’re not alone and providing help and resources. Caregiving isn’t a new experience. It’s just become harder to ignore at work. In this episode, we discuss and look at the different ways we can all take better care of each other. 

Take a listen to our very special chat with Lindsay about how to best support caregivers so that they can thrive at work and home.

Automate to humanate! We say this often at Leapgen. When we talk about automate to humanate, we’re talking about giving everyone the experience they deserve. Automate what begs to be automated so humans can do what they’re especially equipped to do: BE HUMAN!

Why don’t we provide more tools, more virtual assistants, more robotic process automation (RPA), more conversational AI? Forget what it’s called: It’s called HELP. Humans are begging to be upskilled, supported, developed and career pathed. Technology is begging to improve experience for everyone: job seekers who need transparency and help navigating a clunky process, recruiters with overbearing req loads, hiring managers trying their best to onboard and unleash. Turn HELP WANTED into HELP IS HERE.

We talked AI with Josh Zywien, Chief Marketing Officer at Paradox, a software company fueled by the concept that AI can make recruiting more human. 

TAKE A LISTEN! 

When it comes to BEST DEPLOYING PEOPLE against WHAT THE BUSINESS NEEDS, most employers would admit they’re behind the eight ball. We hire, develop, and attempt to retain talent from a broken supply chain; always reacting, dependent on the weather vane of the talent economy, transactional, and riddled with waste. We don't have a clear line of sight to the talent we DO have - what skills they have or want, what they can do or want to.

What if organizations could future-fit their workforce, strategically and proactively building and equipping workers with the KNOWLEDGE and SKILLS they’ll need to support the growth trajectory of the business? 


Knowledge is power, skills are gold. Guild understands this. 

Take a listen to this special knowledge-filled episode with Lorna Hagen of Guild Education!

Energy and innovation have been bubbling in the HR Tech space for the past few years. What's next? We were thrilled to be joined by one of the most brilliant researchers in the industry to give us the inside scoop. Stacey Harris and Sapient Insights are currently fielding their 25th Annual HR Systems Survey. That’s right, 25 YEARS tracking the evolution of HR systems. You remember what we were using 25 years ago, right? We’ve gone from pushing paper to publishing APIs, graduated from mainframes to the cloud. 

Innovation is catapulting. But it hits different if you’re SMB vs. enterprise…or does it? What applications and vendors are seeing the most adoption and satisfaction, and why? What are the big spending plans? What’s the future of HRIS and Shared Services, and how in the world is HR resourcing everything?

In this episode, Jim Holincheck, Leapgen's VP of Advisory Services, and Jason Averbook welcomed Stacey Harris to the conversation to discuss insights and trends from this year's HR Systems Survey. How can we hone the right use cases to better optimize our workforces in uncertain times?

Take a listen to learn more about this year's HR Systems Survey!