Afleveringen
-
Most employees hear the word “assessment” and immediately think of being judged. Kian Katanforoosh thinks that mindset is outdated. The future isn’t about screening people out. It’s about measuring skills, accelerating learning, and helping people prove what they can actually do.
The biggest workforce advantage may not be talent. It may be learning velocity. Skills intelligence, AI readiness, workforce development, learning velocity, talent management, skills-based hiring. This conversation explores how AI is reshaping the way organizations measure and develop human potential.
In this episode… Kian explains why traditional assessments have earned a trust problem, how AI is reinventing skills measurement, and why learning velocity could become one of the most important workforce metrics of the future. Sharp discussion on AI readiness, skills verification, talent mobility, workforce development, and the future of hiring.
Key Takeaways :
• Kian argues organizations should stop thinking about assessments and start thinking about skills intelligence
• Modern AI can evaluate far more than multiple-choice questions, including problem-solving, coding, communication, and real-world tasks
• Trust in skills measurement requires transparent design, continuous auditing, and humans remaining in the loop
• Kian believes AI is already less biased than humans in many evaluation scenarios because human bias remains deeply inconsistent
• Large organizations often have thousands of managers applying different hiring standards, creating inconsistency that AI can help reduce
• Candidates and employees should have the ability to challenge AI-generated outcomes and trigger human review when needed
• Meta reportedly hired 7 of 11 top AI researchers from OpenAI, highlighting how intense the AI talent war has become
• Kian predicts compensation will increasingly be tied to verified skills rather than traditional credentials or tenure
• One metric his customers track is “learning velocity,” measuring how quickly a person improves skills over time
• Learning velocity may become a stronger predictor of future potential than current skill level alone
• Skills adjacency helps organizations identify employees who can successfully transition into new projects or roles
• Kian believes employees will eventually carry verified skills passports between employers instead of relying on self-reported resumes and profiles
• LinkedIn profiles are largely self-reported, while future skills credentials will likely be independently verified
• Organizations rolling out skills measurement should focus on employee empowerment rather than compliance or screening
• AI readiness is becoming the first major use case for enterprise-wide skills measurement programs
• Leaders who pretend to understand AI create what Kian calls “dangerous amateurs” throughout the organization
• Effective AI transformation starts with leadership openly measuring and improving their own capabilities first
• Employees engage more when skill development is tied to clear incentives, promotions, recognition, or financial rewards
• The future of workforce development is less about completing courses and more about reaching measurable skill outcomes
Guest : Kian Katanforoosh
CEO and Founder of Workera, AI educator, Stanford lecturer, and workforce innovator helping organizations measure, verify, and develop skills through AI-powered skills intelligence and learning platforms.
LinkedIN : https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiankatan
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Most people spend years trying to find the perfect career fit. Sarabeth Bickerton thinks that’s the wrong goal. The real problem isn’t fit. It’s belonging. People don’t want to be squeezed into someone else’s box. They want to be seen, known, and valued for who they actually are.
The workforce is obsessed with skills and titles while people are searching for identity. Career belonging, professional identity, personal branding, workforce development, career growth, leadership. This conversation explores what happens when people stop defining themselves by their job descriptions.
In this episode… Sarabeth explains why career belonging matters more than career fit, how professional identity evolves throughout life, and why hybrid professionals are becoming one of the most overlooked talent groups in the workforce. Sharp discussion on personal branding, career transitions, identity, leadership, and the future of work.
Key Takeaways :
• Sarabeth argues people want to be “seen, known, and valued,” not simply matched to a job opening
• Many employees feel invisible at work because they are viewed only through their job title instead of their broader capabilities
• She believes career belonging is becoming more important than traditional notions of career fit
• Sarabeth identifies three professional identity types: singularity (experts), multiplicity (generalists), and hybridity (people who combine multiple disciplines)
• Hybrid professionals often create value by connecting skills and perspectives that normally exist in separate functions
• Many organizations still hire using binary expert-versus-generalist thinking while overlooking hybrid talent
• Companies are increasingly hiring for adaptability, agility, and the ability to navigate ambiguity because jobs are changing faster than ever
• A highly skilled employee can still fail in the wrong role if their professional identity does not align with the work environment
• Professional identity is fluid and evolves throughout a person’s life rather than remaining fixed forever
• Losing a job, losing a loved one, and going through a divorce are three of the biggest triggers of identity crises
• Many career transition programs focus on resumes and job applications before helping people understand who they are becoming
• Sarabeth encourages people to map dozens of professional identities instead of reducing themselves to a single title
• One of her most powerful exercises involves asking others how they perceive your impact beyond your job description
• She uses “First, Best, and Only” career moments to uncover patterns of unique strengths and identity traits
• Personal branding is not about marketing yourself. It starts with understanding your identity first
• The biggest career breakthroughs often happen when people finally find language that accurately describes who they have been all along
Guest : Sarabeth Bickerton
Founder of More Than My Title, author, researcher, and career strategist helping professionals understand their professional identity, build career belonging, and move beyond the limits of job titles and traditional career paths.
LinkedIN : https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarabethberk/
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
-
Only 6% of businesses in Ireland have deployed AI at scale. That’s the wake-up call. This conversation cuts through the AI cosplay and gets real about skills-based hiring, HR transformation, employee trust, governance, automation, and what happens when agents start doing half the work faster than your best ops team.
In this episode… Stephanie explains why most companies are stuck in pilot mode, why “jobs” are becoming obsolete, and how AI changes recruiting, onboarding, learning, and leadership. She also shares the five-part framework companies need if they want adoption instead of fear, resistance, and expensive tech nobody uses.
Key Takeaways :
Only 6% of businesses in Ireland have deployed AI at scale
90% of leaders say they feel unprepared for AI adoption
67% of Irish businesses using AI still can’t explain the ROI
AI can analyze employee engagement data in seconds instead of months
Skills-based organizations will outperform job-based structures in the AI era
AI agents can handle repetitive L&D coordination work in under 5 minutes
Most employee resistance comes from forced change, not the technology itself
“Transparency builds trust” became the core theme of the conversation
Stephanie’s “GAS SEED” framework focuses on growth mindset, autonomy, creativity, entrepreneurship, empathy, and decision-making
Companies rolling out AI without psychological safety are setting themselves up for low adoption
Governance is less about restriction and more about data protection and compliance
The best AI use cases connect directly to revenue goals, not random admin cleanup
Guest :
Stephanie Prenderville
Founder SPC Consulting
Stephanie has been helping organizations build practical AI adoption strategies that humans will actually use.
LinkedIN : https://ie.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-prenderville
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Most companies say they hire for skill. Carlton Gates says that’s nonsense. From AI screening tools to culture-fit traps, this episode breaks down why recruiting is still more gut instinct than science.Only 10 candidates get reviewed out of 1,000 applicants. AI is filtering your future before a human ever sees your name. Skills-based hiring, recruiting tech, candidate fraud, soft skills, hiring velocity, and workplace culture all collide here.In this episode…Carlton breaks down what companies still get wrong about hiring. We get into AI recruiting tools, fake candidates, interview fatigue, soft skills, diversity in hiring, and why speed plus precision separates top performers from everyone else. Sharp takes. No HR fluff.Key Takeaways• Most recruiters cannot realistically review 2,000 applicants manually across 10 open reqs• Some job posts now pull 200 applicants within a single hour• “Culture fit” often becomes an unspoken filter around age, gender, geography, or background• Diverse teams consistently produce better business outcomes and decision-making• AI recruiting tools like Humanly help surface stronger candidates faster through keyword analysis• Candidate experience matters more than companies think. Slow scheduling kills momentum fast• Interview fatigue is crushing engineering teams during technical hiring cycles• Tools like CoderPad reduce candidate fraud through live testing and timed assessments• Soft skills dominate roles involving sales, recruiting, HR, and leadership• Self-motivation becomes the deciding factor in independent technical roles like UX and engineering• A resume is still a marketing document. Bad grammar and weak structure eliminate candidates instantly• Top performers move fast, stay accurate, and execute under pressure without losing focusConnect with Us : William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/WRKdefined : Site: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefinedSubstack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Most companies say they want innovation. Then they build rooms where people are punished for thinking differently.
Creativity isn’t rare. Suppressing it is. Josh Linkner connects innovation, leadership, psychology, and business through one brutal truth: most people stop sharing bold ideas because they’ve been trained to avoid mistakes. The result? Safe thinking, mediocre execution, and teams stuck recycling old answers to new problems.
In this episode… you’ll hear why traditional brainstorming is broken, how fear destroys innovation before ideas even surface, and practical ways to create environments where people actually think differently. From “bad idea brainstorms” to role-based creativity exercises, this is about making better ideas usable inside real organizations.
Key Takeaways :
• Fear kills more creativity than lack of talent ever will
• Most brainstorming sessions fail because people self-censor before speaking
• Safe ideas survive meetings more often than smart ideas
• Every strong creative process starts with messy first drafts, not polished perfection
• Critiquing the work improves ideas. Critiquing the person shuts people down
• Teams produce better thinking when feedback becomes specific instead of vague
• Diversity creates stronger innovation because different lived experiences expand possible solutions
• Homogeneous teams often move faster but generate narrower thinking
• Psychological safety matters because people won’t risk bold ideas if embarrassment feels expensive
• Some of the best innovations come from borrowing ideas outside your industry
• A medical breakthrough for severe burns came from studying how graffiti artists use spray paint
• Roleplaying during brainstorming removes social pressure and unlocks ideas people normally suppress
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The AI shift isn’t coming. It already hit payroll, hiring, benefits, and every broken HR process companies ignored for years. Most teams still think they have time. They don’t.
85% of companies say they’re adapting. Most are just playing with ChatGPT while the talent market, employee expectations, and AI adoption sprint past them.
A sharp conversation with Amy Mosher on what HR leaders are getting wrong, what smart companies are quietly doing right, and why “best practice” now expires every 90 days.
A few truths that hit hard:
• 65% of HR leaders say power is shifting back to employers
• 62% admit the talent crisis is self-inflicted
• 72% say benefits enrollment is still stressful for employees
• Nearly 50% claim there’s no major skills gap. That number might be the wildest stat in the whole report
In this episode, Amy breaks down why hiring speed alone is dead, how AI is reshaping workforce strategy, why candidate experience now behaves like Instagram attention spans, and what companies need to do before their people strategy becomes obsolete.
Key Takeaways :
• HR trends aren’t new problems. They’re old problems wearing new technology
• Candidate attention now works like social media. Miss the moment and they disappear
• 65% of HR leaders believe leverage is shifting back toward employers
• 62% say today’s talent crisis is self-inflicted through outdated hiring practices
• “Best practice” now has an expiration date measured in months, not years
• AI adoption without employee enablement is mostly theater
• Companies winning with AI rarely talk publicly because it’s now a competitive advantage
• Payroll fraud prevention has become an AI arms race
• 72% of HR professionals say benefits enrollment is still stressful for employees
• Skills gaps are permanent now because work changes faster than organizations can stabilize
• HR teams need AI hackathons, not more boring training sessions
• The most valuable skill today is the ability to learn, adapt, and keep moving
Guest :
Amy Mosher
Chief People Officer isolved
One of the clearest voices in HR on AI adoption, workforce agility, payroll innovation, and why most companies still underestimate how fast work is changing.
LinkedIN : https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-m-mosher
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
You made it easy to apply. Now you’re buried. Bots, bad fits, fake signals. That’s the game. Recruiting, AI hiring, applicant volume, skills gap, and signal vs noise are colliding hard and most teams aren’t ready.
In this episode… you’ll hear what AI is actually fixing, what it’s making worse, and how to spot real talent when everyone looks qualified on paper.
Key Takeaways :
Easy apply created a flood of low-signal applications
AI is now used on both sides of hiring
Recruiters are reviewing thousands of applicants per role
AI sourcing tools are narrowing pools but not solving quality
Custom GPTs are cutting hours of admin work
Hiring for AI roles with 0–2 years real experience is the norm
No one has “10 years of AI” despite job descriptions saying so
Curiosity is becoming a core hiring signal
AI hallucinations are real and impact hiring decisions
Filtering tools help but still require human judgment
Skills validation is shifting from resumes to real-world examples
Guest :
Beth Wolfe
Senior Director of Recruiting, Daxko
LinkedIN : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethwolfe1
Builds recruiting systems that cut through noise and actually identify talent in an AI-saturated hiring market.
Connect with Us :
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
WRKdefined :
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
What if the candidate with the “messy” résumé is actually the one who ramps fastest? Rebecca Kehoe from Cornell University breaks down what HR gets wrong about job hopping, why onboarding matters more than most teams realize, and how performance, culture fit, and career transitions are more connected than we think.
In this episode, Rebecca Kehoe shares research on how job hoppers often come up to speed faster, adapt to organizational norms more efficiently, and can show measurable impact within just a few months. The conversation explores onboarding, the role of “unlearning” during career transitions, post-COVID hiring patterns, internal mobility, and what this research means for how organizations evaluate talent.
Guest
Rebecca Kehoe is an Associate Professor at Cornell University’s ILR School where her research focuses on human capital, employee mobility, performance, and how organizations develop talent over time. Her work helps HR leaders better understand hiring outcomes, onboarding effectiveness, and the long-term impact of workforce mobility.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kehoe-a94b871/Cornell ILR School: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/people/rebecca-kehoe
Key Takeaways
Employees who have moved between roles or organizations frequently ramp faster because they’ve already built the muscle of entering new environments, learning systems quickly, and adapting to unfamiliar cultural norms.
The speed at which new hires succeed is heavily influenced by onboarding. Organizations with structured onboarding programs help employees translate prior experience into performance far more quickly than those that treat onboarding as an afterthought.
Career transitions require a period of “unlearning.” Employees must let go of habits, assumptions, and processes from previous workplaces before they can fully align with the expectations and workflows of a new organization.
Performance impact can emerge sooner than many companies assume. Research discussed in the episode suggests meaningful differences in ramp time and contribution can appear within roughly the first five months.
Internal mobility can deliver many of the same benefits associated with external job changes. When organizations intentionally design pathways for employees to move between roles, they build adaptability and development while retaining institutional knowledge.
Connect with Us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Cornell's ILR School offers exceptional HR master's programs that combine rigorous academics with practical application. We offer programs designed for professionals with 2-5 years of experience and for executives with 8+ years of HR experience. Engage with world-renowned faculty, connect with HR executives, and become part of Cornell's prestigious alumni network. Take your career and organization to the next level with a Master’s from Cornell.
Learn more about ILR’s Graduate Degree Programs
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode, Oz Khan (Head of ADP Ventures) joins William Tincup and Ryan Leary to discuss the shifting landscape of HR Tech investing. Learn why the Series A definition has changed, how AI-native startups are disrupting traditional SaaS models, and the strategic logic behind Build vs. Buy decisions at the enterprise level.
Episode Overview:
Technology constantly changes the "wrapper," but the core challenges of HR—hiring, performance, and workforce management—remain the same. As the head of ADP Ventures, Oz Khan breaks down how the market is moving toward global HCM opportunities and why a founder's narrative is just as important as their data.
Key Takeaways:
The New Series A: Why fewer deals are happening, but valuations for top-tier companies remain high.
SaaS vs. AI-Native: How to distinguish between durable software businesses and fast-growing AI startups.
The Investment Signal: Why AI is no longer an "add-on" but a core requirement for future upside.
Global Expansion: Why the biggest HR Tech opportunities are currently sitting outside the U.S. market.
Strategic Growth: When should a company build a feature internally versus acquiring a partner?
The Founder’s Edge: How to craft a story of traction and market fit that wins over venture capital.
Guest:
Oz Khan, Head of ADP Ventures
Oz leads investment strategies at ADP Ventures, focusing on early-stage companies that are redefining workforce innovation and the future of work.
Topics Covered:
HR Tech Trends, ADP Ventures, AI in HR, Venture Capital Strategy, HR Innovation, Startup Funding 2024, Global HCM Markets, SaaS vs AI, Human Capital Management.
Hosts:
William Tincup (LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com)Ryan Leary (LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com)
Connect with WRKdefined:â Websiteâ | â Substackâ | â YouTubeâ
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Internal mobility is one of the most misunderstood dynamics in modern organizations. JR Keller brings the empirical lens that most leaders never get. His research at Cornell University’s ILR School unpacks how hiring decisions are made, how managers balance team performance with talent development, and why employees often misinterpret the signals around opportunity. This episode moves past slogans and gets into the real mechanics: incentives, culture, language, and the behavioral patterns that shape who advances and who doesn’t.
In this episode we talk about internal mobility, talent development, hiring decisions, HR management, employee advancement, organizational culture, AI in HR, career progression, talent acquisition, leadership.
Key Takeaways
JR’s research shows that mobility isn’t blocked by a lack of roles. It’s blocked by the human calculus managers make when deciding whether to release talent. Managers optimize for stability and predictability, and the system often rewards that behavior. Until incentives align with mobility, even the best programs stall.
Lateral moves carry more long-term value than most organizations acknowledge. JR’s empirical work reveals that sideways transitions often generate broader skill acquisition, better visibility, and stronger future promotion velocity. Companies that treat lateral movement as legitimate progression see healthier internal pipelines and more resilient talent.
AI has a role, but not the one most leaders assume. JR frames it as a mechanism to surface overlooked skills, reduce noise in matching, and create visibility into internal pathways. Technology can correct informational gaps, but it cannot override psychological safety or managerial trust. Culture decides whether mobility sticks.
Employees and organizations share responsibility for mobility outcomes. JR emphasizes that employees must actively navigate their own careers while organizations must remove structural friction. When both sides commit to transparency, aligned incentives, and meaningful development pathways, internal mobility becomes a strategic advantage instead of a persistent frustration.
Chapters:
00:00 J.R. Keller, Faculty Director, Executive Master of Human Resource Management (EMHRM)
03:00 Research Focus: Internal Mobility and Hiring Decisions
05:52 Challenges in Internal Mobility: The Role of Managers
08:37 Talent Hoarding: Understanding Managerial Behavior
11:56 The Value Proposition of Promoting Talent
14:51 Incentivizing Managers to Promote Talent
17:46 Cultural Shifts for Internal Mobility
20:48 The Future of Talent Mobility and AI's Role
24:21 Empowering Employees Through Technology
25:21 The Role of AI in Job Matching
27:03 Balancing Skills and Development
28:03 Ownership of Internal Mobility
29:34 The Disconnect in Talent Acquisition
32:17 The Importance of Onboarding for Internal Hires
34:23 Lateral Moves as Career Advancement
38:46 Redefining Promotions and Career Growth
Featured Guest
JR Keller, Faculty Director, Executive Master of Human Resource Management (EMHRM)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jrkeller/
Cornell ILR EMHRM: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/
Cornell ILR Latest Research: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/faculty-and-research
Hosts
William Tincup, Co-founder , WRKdefined
LinkedIn: https:// linkedin.com/in/tincup
Ryan Leary, Co-founder, WRKdefined
LinkedIn:htps://linkedin.com/in/ryanleary
Connect with Us
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefinedSubstack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Is your AI recruiting strategy actually working, or just scaling bad data?
In this episode of WRKdefined, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with Hari Kolam (Findem) and Maveric (Getro) to break down their landmark acquisition and what it means for the Future of Talent Acquisition.
The Death of the Static Job Post: Why "intelligent outcomes" are replacing traditional hiring volume.
What You’ll Learn About Talent Intelligence:
Data Integrity: Why AI fails in HR when the data foundation is fragmented.
The Power of Weak Ties: How networking and "community fit" actually drive high-quality hires.
Findem + Getro: How this merger shifts recruiting from a tool-centric game to an outcome-centric strategy.
Outcome-Centric Hiring: How to turn job posts into intelligent systems tied to market feedback.
Chapters
00:00 Breaking the Findem Acquisition
03:02 The Evolution of Talent Acquisition
05:52 Networking and Job Opportunities
08:54 The Role of AI in Talent Acquisition
11:58 Post-Acquisition Vision and Strategy
14:48 Community and Fit in Recruitment
17:52 Outcome-Centric Approach to Hiring
20:39 Change Management in AI Adoption
23:33 Leveraging Weak Links in Networking
26:34 The Future of Talent Acquisition
Featured Guests
Hari Kulam, Co-Founder at Findem
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hkolam/
Maveric, CTO and Co-founder at Getro
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mavericohm/
Hosts
William Tincup, Co-founder , WRKdefined
LinkedIn: https:// linkedin.com/in/tincup
Ryan Leary, Co-founder, WRKdefined
LinkedIn:htps://linkedin.com/in/ryanleary
Connect with Us
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
AI is moving quickly from experimentation to everyday use inside large organizations, especially when it comes to employee experience. Adoption alone is no longer the headline. What matters is whether people trust the technology, understand how it is being used, and can see real outcomes tied to that usage. At scale, those questions carry more weight and more risk.
In this episode, the focus is on how AI is shaping employee experience at ADP, what widespread adoption actually looks like, and why client trust and transparency are non-negotiable. The conversation centers on technology adoption, proof of value, and why the next year will be critical for separating AI that works from AI that only sounds good.
What We Cover
AI adoption and employee experience at scale
Why trust is foundational to AI use
Transparency as a driver of confidence
What high usage rates really signal
Why proof of impact now matters
Key Takeaways:
AI adoption is already widespread inside ADP, with 67 percent of the employee base actively using AI tools. That level of usage signals comfort and familiarity, but it also raises expectations around outcomes and accountability.
ADP’s scale matters. Paying one in six people in the United States creates a responsibility to deploy AI carefully, consistently, and in ways that protect trust across employees and clients.
Client trust is a prerequisite for AI adoption. Without transparency into how AI is used and why decisions are made, confidence erodes quickly, even when the technology performs well.
The coming year is a proving ground for AI in HR. Clients are no longer satisfied with potential. They want evidence, success stories, and clear demonstrations that AI is improving the employee experience.
Guest:
Naomi Lariviere Chief Product Officer, VP Product Management at ADPLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomilariviere/
Hosts:
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with Us:
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/WRKdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefinedTwitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefinedSubstack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Hiring teams are surrounded by AI tools, but many still aren’t sure what’s actually helping and what’s just noise. The real tension right now isn’t whether AI belongs in hiring. It’s how it gets used, who understands it, and whether it’s improving outcomes or just increasing volume.
In this episode, William Tincup sits down with Heidi Laki from Indeed to talk about what’s changing inside recruiting teams. They dig into the gap between recruiters and hiring managers, why quality of hire matters more than ever, and how AI can surface talent that traditional filters miss. The conversation lands on a simple truth. Technology should handle the repetitive work so humans can focus on judgment, collaboration, and better decisions.
What We Cover
Where AI is actually showing up in hiring today
Why hiring managers struggle to trust and understand AI tools
The shift from applicant volume to quality of hire
Hiring as a collaborative, shared responsibility
Screening candidates in instead of screening them out
How AI can uncover non-traditional talent
Balancing automation with human judgment
Key Takeaways
AI is already embedded in hiring workflows, but adoption doesn’t equal understanding. Many hiring managers use AI-powered tools without knowing how decisions are being made, which creates mistrust and misuse.
Recruiting is moving away from volume-driven success metrics. The focus is shifting toward quality of hire, long-term fit, and outcomes that matter to the business, not just filled reqs.
Hiring works best as a team sport. Recruiters, hiring managers, and technology need to operate together, not in silos, to make better decisions faster.
AI is most valuable when it handles rote, repetitive tasks. That frees humans to do what machines can’t—apply judgment, creativity, and context to hiring decisions.
Screening candidates in, rather than defaulting to screening out, opens access to adaptable talent that may not fit traditional profiles but can succeed with the right support.
This episode is sponsored by Indeed
And features a conversation around Career Scout and Talent Scout, two tools designed to support job seekers and employers through smarter matching, interview preparation, and more efficient hiring.
Learn more Talent Scout here: http://indeed.com/talentscout
Learn more about Career Scout here: http://indeed.com/careerscout
Chapters:
00:00 – Why AI in hiring feels both exciting and confusing
03:03 – Where AI is actually being used today
06:07 – The trust gap between hiring managers and AI tools
08:57 – Moving from applicant volume to hiring quality
11:57 – What hiring managers need but don’t always get
14:58 – Why recruiting only works as a team effort
17:55 – What AI should do versus what humans must do
19:42 – Getting comfortable with new hiring technology
22:44 – AI’s real role in talent acquisition
25:13 – Customizing hiring instead of forcing templates
29:33 – Collaboration as a hiring advantage
33:45 – Rethinking how talent is discovered
36:05 – Screening in candidates for better outcomes
39:36 – How AI is reshaping the future of work
43:52 – Adaptability as the new hiring currency
Guest InformationHeidi Laki, Senior Product Director, AI AgentsWebsite: https://www.indeed.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidilaki/
Host and Network LinksWilliam Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with UsSite: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/WRKdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefinedTwitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefinedSubstack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Why does the job search feel broken, and can AI actually fix it?
In this episode of WRKdefined, William Tincup and Ryan Leary sit down with David Lane, VP of Product Management at Indeed, to pull back the curtain on how the world’s largest job site is using AI to fight "hiring anxiety" and ghosting.
The Shift to Career Scout: How Indeed is moving from a static job board to an AI-guided career assistant.
What You’ll Learn About the Future of Hiring:
The "Quiet" Labor Market: Why quit rates are down and what "hiring hesitation" means for your 2026 talent strategy.
AI Career Scout & Talent Scout: A deep dive into Indeed’s new tools for interview prep, job discovery, and smarter matching.
Ending the Ghosting Epidemic: How AI is being used to bridge the communication gap between candidates and employers.
Data Privacy vs. Personalization: Why trust is the new prerequisite for AI-driven job matching.
This episode is sponsored by Indeed and features a conversation around Career Scout and Talent Scout, two tools designed to support job seekers and employers through smarter matching, interview preparation, and a more efficient hiring process.
Learn more Talent Scout here: http://indeed.com/talentscout
Learn more about Career Scout here: http://indeed.com/careerscout
Timestamps00:00 Why job seekers feel stuck right now02:48 Slower hiring and rising caution05:54 How AI is changing job opportunities09:03 Career Scout and practical tools for job seekers11:53 What’s coming next in job search technology18:46 How job seeking is evolving20:26 Data privacy and candidate preferences22:33 Voice and conversational job applications24:37 Reintroducing human connection in hiring27:36 Using AI to improve candidate experience30:01 Addressing the communication gap33:15 Simplifying the application experience34:52 How job matching continues to change
Guest InformationDavid Lane, VP of Product Management, IndeedWebsite: https://www.indeed.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lane-a37778/
Host and Network LinksWilliam Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Want more insights on the Future of Work? Join 1M+ listeners and subscribe to the WRKdefined Newsletter for weekly executive briefings: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode we talk about skills, healthcare talent, community hiring, psychometrics, and workforce equity. A major health system needed a new way to hire in a Chicago neighborhood where life expectancy was thirty years below the national average. Instead of waiting for candidates to come to them, they built Project Equinox and took Plum’s assessment tech straight into the community. What started as a college and early career idea turned into a pathway for people who never pictured themselves working in healthcare to find real, durable roles where they actually thrive.
Key Takeaways
Plum opened the door for people who never saw themselves as healthcare workers
Durable skills like communication, innovation, and execution predicted success better than degrees
The health system used Plum outside the ATS to engage people before they ever applied
Project Equinox targeted a Chicago community with a thirty year life expectancy gap
A mobile recruitment van equipped with Plum and VR met people where they already were
Candidates could explore roles through VR without entering a hospitalOver 200 community members were assessed in the first year across two major events
Many hires came from people who weren’t looking and didn’t think they were qualified
Plum gave candidates personal insight and validation about where they naturally thrive
Retention improved because hires were matched on behavior and potential, not resumes
Psychometric data helped build trust in a community that historically mistrusted healthcare systems
Companies underestimate how many people can succeed in non degree roles when matched well
Chapters
00:00 Who is Plum?01:50 Advocate Health overview03:10 The life expectancy crisis in Chicago04:45 Project Equinox is born06:00 How Melissa and Caitlin met08:55 Early career idea turns into community hiring strategy10:00 Why durable skills matter12:00 Opening the aperture beyond resumes13:40 Moving Plum outside the ATS15:30 Matching talent before they apply17:00 Lessons from Scotiabank18:40 Opening doors in low income communities20:20 Building trust and confidence in new roles21:15 The recruitment van and VR23:10 Why traditional job fairs fail24:00 Plum’s candidate owned data model26:00 On ramps, potential, and future hiring29:00 Matching behavior to job success31:00 Real stories from Project Equinox33:00 The impact of 200 new candidates
Guest Info
Melissa Le, VP Talent Acquisition, Advocate HealthLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-le-3495a516/
Caitlin MacGregor, CEO and Co Founder, PlumWebsite: https://www.plum.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caitlinmacgregor/
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social networkSite: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode we talk about frontline work, safety, AI agents, employee experience, and the tech strategy behind keeping 100,000 workers informed, supported, and confident on the job. Trilok Manchanila from ABM breaks down how AI is changing everything from PTO visibility to multilingual policies to safety alerts that actually prevent incidents. This is real-world AI. Practical. High stakes. And already moving the needle.
We discussed:
Frontline employees need instant answers, not call-center delays.
ABM supports 100,000 workers who serve clients onsite every day.
AI agents remove friction by giving PTO, policy, and benefits info instantly.
Safety alerts are personalized and triggered by real-world conditions.
Standardization is the quiet power move. Every worker gets the same info, same time.
Multilingual capabilities eliminate translation delays and increase trust.
Retention improves when workers feel supported, not confused.
AI reduces ambiguity for workers who represent ABM inside client spaces.
Orchestrated AI agents provide the biggest value so far.
Choosing the wrong SI partner creates long-term mistrust and slows innovation.
Employee confidence and client satisfaction both improve with better guidance.
Safety is the next frontier where AI will rewrite the entire playbook.
This episode was recorded live at â Oracle AI World 2025â as part of a leadership series defining the world of work and AI
Chapters:
00:18 Live at Oracle AI World
00:32 Getting an MBA in AI this week
01:16 Technology and business strategy aligning in real time
02:17 AI evolution outpacing traditional adoption cycles
03:03 People are here to actually learn
04:02 Everyone is talking about AI, not the conference
05:00 Why people feel personally invested in AI problems
05:27 Trilok introduces himself and ABM
06:10 Aligning tech strategy with business strategy
06:35 How fast AI expectations are shifting
07:12 Choosing between LLMs, custom builds, and agents
07:54 Finding the right partner (and what happens if you pick wrong)
09:32 The failure modes companies overlook
10:24 Why mistrust ruins future innovation
11:12 How Oracle’s leadership builds confidence
12:48 ABM’s frontline workforce and mission
13:28 AI for safety guidance and situational alerts
14:26 2 percent of workers calling about PTO equals call-center chaos
15:05 Policy clarity and standardized answers across locations
16:18 How AI changes the employee-client conversation
17:57 Real numbers: retention is improving
18:54 Translation used to take weeks. Now it’s instant.
19:52 Why equality of information builds employee confidence
20:53 Early signs of frontline empowerment
22:12 Safety improvements and future opportunities
24:06 Where AI will drive the biggest gains in the next two years
Guest Info
Trilok Manchanila, VP Enterprise Architecture and Data, ABM Industries
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trilok-manchinila-54b3244/
Connect with us
William Tincup Linked://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode we talk about generative AI, talent acquisition, candidate experience, workflow design, and how Oracle is pushing recruiting into the next era. Nagaraj Nadendala, SVP/GM Product Development breaks down the thinking behind Career Coach, why the industry needed a reset, and what it means for recruiters who are nervous about AI. This one hits on memory, scale, model choices, and the messy reality of matching people to work.
What we discussed:
AI is shifting from “extra help” to the core workflow for candidates and recruiters.
Career Coach is built to mimic the real multi-turn discovery recruiters used to do manually.
Memory is the unlock, allowing consistent candidate experience from first touch to interview.
Recruiters don’t hate AI. They hate dealing with 1,000 unqualified applicants.
Scale is the real bottleneck and AI finally cracks it.
Good recruiters stay relevant by coming prepared and using AI as an amplifier.
Customers want control over their models based on compliance and governance.
Different models give different experiences, so Oracle lets customers choose.
Candidate frustration and recruiter frustration both fed into the creation of Career Coach.
Adoption is the real metric to watch in 2025.
The real blockers inside companies aren’t recruiters. They’re governance committees.
AI helps recruiters focus on the conversations that actually matter.
This episode was recorded live at â Oracle AI World 2025â as part of a leadership series defining the world of work and AI
Chapters:
00:00 Live at Oracle AI World
00:27 Event energy and why this year feels different
01:34 Introducing Nagaraj
02:00 His role and connection to Taleo
03:51 Why Career Coach exists
04:40 Memory and candidate interaction
06:00 What good recruiters actually do
06:30 Candidate and recruiter frustration
07:38 Building challenges and model selection
08:58 Handling drift and customer-chosen models
09:55 How recruiters should think about AI
10:52 The horse-and-buggy moment
11:56 What success looks like in 2026
12:59 The reality of internal adoption hurdles
Guest Info:
Nagaraj Nadendla, SVP/GM Product Development Oracle
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagarajnadendla/
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In this episode we talk about HR tech, automation, employee experience, sentiment, and workflow design. We sat down with Hubert from Quest Diagnostics live at Oracle AI World and got into the guts of what 56,000 employees really need from HR systems today. This one hits everything from AI-powered scheduling to performance reviews to the messy, very human side of employee sentiment. It’s practical, honest, and grounded in what real teams face every day.
Here's what we covered:
AI is finally giving HR a chance to get ahead instead of catching up.
Employees aren’t reading PDFs anymore. They’re asking questions and expecting answers instantly.
Quest’s 56,000 employees create huge pressure on ticketing, sentiment, and service quality.
Performance reviews suffer from human bias and memory. AI fixes that.
Scheduling at scale is broken without automation and rules-based fairness.
Frontline teams need systems that respect their time and availability.
Employee surveys every quarter will reveal the real impact of automation next year.
Change management matters more in HR than almost any other function.
Healthcare adds a deeper mission layer that shapes how tech gets adopted.
Sentiment analysis during support conversations is an untapped opportunity.
Managers with 30 direct reports need automation so they can actually lead.
AI is becoming a second brain for service centers, not a replacement.
This episode was recorded live at Oracle AI World 2025 as part of a leadership series defining the world of work and AI
Chapters:00:24 Live at Oracle AI World01:01 Event energy and why this crowd feels different01:35 Hubert talks about why AI feels like a turning point02:15 Why HR is finally ready for real change02:56 What Hubert does at Quest03:28 Rolling out new HR modules and AI tools04:26 The shift from PDFs to conversational workflows05:10 How employees actually search for answers now06:24 Paystub agents, call centers, and reducing support load07:24 Tracking sentiment and service quality08:30 Help desk automation and ticket summaries10:07 The performance review problem11:04 How AI can remove bias and jog managers’ memory12:30 Oracle scheduling rollout and why it matters13:54 Shift fairness and hourly worker expectations16:20 Engagement, surveys, and 2025 expectations17:56 Culture, values, and healthcare’s mission19:06 Why speed and accuracy matter in patient-facing work19:55 Wrapping with humor and German honesty
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Most companies walk into annual planning blind. They’re scrambling through spreadsheets, missing critical skill signals, and making high-impact decisions without a clear view of their own organization. The result is predictable: reorgs fail, plans stall, and HR gets blamed for problems that start with bad visibility, not bad leadership.
In this episode we talk about workforce planning, data visibility, org structure, reorg failures, skill depth, and why spreadsheets keep undermining teams that should be operating on real insight – not rows and cells. Tom breaks down where planning goes sideways, what HR is missing, and how organizations can finally get ahead of 2026 instead of reacting to it.
Key Takeaways
Almost half of HR leaders say they don’t have clear visibility into their org.
Seventy percent of reorgs fail, which shows how broken most planning processes are.
Ninety-eight percent of HR teams still run planning through spreadsheets.
HR isn’t the problem. The tooling is.
Companies miss critical skills because they plan person to person instead of position to position.
Single-threaded knowledge points make organizations fragile.
Inconsistent data lenses lead to inconsistent talent decisions.
Planning should be continuous, not a once-a-year fire drill.
The first COVID-era RIF exposed how dangerous planning without visibility can be.
Managers can’t see skill impact or team fallout when they plan in rows and columns.
The real value is in the conversation, but teams never get there because they’re stuck gathering data.
As organizations evolve, HR’s job is no longer reactive, it’s about building the future. But how can you lead when you don’t have a clear view of your structure, roles, and gaps? Are you prepared for 2026? Take a look at your OrgChart.
Chapters
00:00 The real visibility gap inside organizations02:00 Why reorgs fail more than they succeed04:00 HR’s Excel addiction06:00 Why talent decisions fall apart10:00 Annual planning vs continuous planning13:00 Making planning fun and interactive16:00 How missing skills break orgs20:00 The danger of fragmented data25:00 RIF mistakes and blind spots30:00 Planning through the lens of positions34:00 Future-proofing and organizational readiness40:00 Where companies should start in 2026
Guest Info
Tom McCarty, CEO, The OrgChartLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-mccarty-1b28762/
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network
Site: http://www.wrkdefined.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefinedFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined
OrgChart partners with the WRKdefined Podcast Network
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
AI is shifting from assistant to operator. Which means the future of work is less about tasks and more about flow. Talent flow. Data flow. Decision flow. We sit down with Steve O’Brien to unpack what happens when intelligence becomes active in the workplace, and why the next evolution of leadership comes down to trust, clarity, and the courage to let AI run where it wins.
In this episode we talk about agentic AI, workforce design, and what it really takes to evolve from managing people to orchestrating humans plus intelligent systems. We explore how CIOs and CHROs are finally colliding around data and workflow decisions, why adoption will lag hype, and why human oversight will stay central even as AI output gets scary good. If you want a clear view into the next chapter of talent and technology, this one hits.
Key themes we dig into
Why AI output can surpass human creativity when humans steer it
Talent leaders moving from headcount management to agent oversight
Trust as the make-or-break variable for AI adoption
Where CIO and CHRO priorities merge in real time
Why data flow is the real battlefield in modern HR tech
Managing intelligent systems like team members, not tools
Human creativity as the spark, not the full fire
Why adoption will be slower, smarter, and people-sensitive
The new leadership edge: seeing the system, not just the role
Guest Info
Steve O'Brien, SVP, People Solutions & Workforce Analytics, Global HR
Connect with Steve on LinkedIn here.
Connect with us
William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/
Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/
Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network
Site: â http://www.wrkdefined.comâ
TikTok: â https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefinedâ
LinkedIn: â https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefinedâ
Facebook: â https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/â
Twitter (X): â https://twitter.com/WRKdefinedâ
Substack: â https://wrkdefined.substack.com/â
This episode is sponsored by Rival. Hiring today requires you to do more than just post and pray. Teams need outbound muscle, a tech stack that supports teams, not slows them down, and a great experience from offer to day one productivity. From helping you find talent, launching them quickly, to supporting their development, Rival makes work flow.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices - Laat meer zien
