The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

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Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

218 - Why AI makes learning “scaled to one”: Brandon Carson (Chief Learning Officer, Docebo) Mar 01, 2025

Show notes

Brandon Carson, Chief Learning Officer at Docebo, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about the one thing holding companies back from adopting AI faster, why AI makes learning “scaled to one”, and why the future of work isn’t about replacing humans - it’s about amplifying them.

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(07:49) Brandon’s career journey: From Delta, Walmart, and Starbucks to Docebo

(14:30) Learning is the oxygen of the enterprise

(16:10) What the next 10 years of AI in the workplace will look like

(20:48) Why companies aren’t moving fast enough with AI adoption

(28:04) The biggest challenge: Outdated infrastructure & data debt

(30:42) AI’s impact: 40% of global working hours could be transformed

(33:57) The next wave of corporate learning – embedding AI into workflows

(38:37) Scaling learning from thousands to one personalized experience

(44:29) Who will win and lose in this AI transformation?

(50:03) Companies that prioritize humanity in work will thrive

(52:38) AI literacy vs. fluency – How HR can bridge the gap

(56:55) What AI tools Brandon is already using to clone himself

(01:00:01) Will our AI bots be podcasting for us in the future?

(01:04:20) Advice for new L&D professionals: Understand AI’s role in learning

(01:05:32) Who should we have on next?

(01:07:49) One-word close: Onward, Set the Table, Catch Up

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217 - Tackling "People Debt": Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social) Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Crystal Boysen, Chief People Officer at Sprout Social, joined us for a deep dive into People Debt.

We discussed what it is, how to identify it, and specific areas where Sprout Social is focusing its efforts to address it.

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(08:41) From Vimeo to Sprout Social: Why Crystal made the move

(11:50) What is People Debt and why does it slow down HR?

(14:22) Fixing HR inefficiencies at Sprout Social

(28:37) Why Sprout Social paused their engagement surveys

(38:19) Redefining performance management (and why most companies do it wrong)

(42:44) Automating reviews & removing manager bias in ratings

(43:12) Pay-for-performance: The future of compensation at Sprout

(46:22) Agile HR: How Sprout redesigned its HR org structure

(50:15) Why HRBPs are evolving into Strategic Business Coaches

(52:08) The power of cross-functional squads in HR

(55:03) Rapid Fire Questions

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216 - Your CEO pushing for RTO? Ask these 5 Q’s: Brian Elliott (CEO, Work Forward) Feb 14, 2025

Show notes

Brian Elliott, a leading expert on flexible work, joined us on the show.

We talked about whether or not remote work is actually dead (looked at the actual data), the questions to ask when your CEO pushes for a RTO, and why a return to office won’t fix bad management.

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(07:36) How Brian became a leading voice on the future of work

(13:39) The origins of Slack’s Future Forum and key findings

(14:56) The media vs. reality: Is remote work really dead?

(17:14) CEOs pushing RTO: Data-driven decision or gut feeling?

(19:02) The role of real estate, stealth layoffs, and productivity concerns

(23:27) The trust factor: Why some leaders struggle with hybrid models

(26:35) Politics and workplace decisions: The hidden forces at play

(28:34) The shift from central business districts to neighborhood economies

(30:37) The future of work isn’t fully remote or in-office—it’s flexible

(34:12) How HR leaders can push back on RTO mandates

(38:19) The contradiction: CEOs demanding AI innovation while enforcing RTO

(41:50) Performance management in a hybrid world: Why tracking outcomes matters

(47:33) How leading companies successfully implement flexible work policies

(49:30) The impact of return-to-office policies on women in the workforce

(54:23) What cities will look like in a remote-first future

(57:57) Five years from now: What will the workplace look like?

(01:01:43) The economic realities of remote work and city tax structures

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215 - Lucia Guillory, Chief People Officer at Virta Health Feb 10, 2025

Show notes

Lucia Guillory, Chief People Officer at Virta Health, joined us on the show.

We discussed how HR teams can adopt a product-driven mindset, the importance of leadership self-awareness, and how Virta Health fosters connection in a fully remote work environment.

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(07:24) Lucia’s career journey from psychology to HR leadership

(08:52) The importance of authenticity and self-awareness in leadership

(13:39) The process of unlearning leadership habits and self-doubt

(21:05) What Virta Health does and its mission to reverse diabetes

(23:57) Can you build community on a fully remote team

(26:30) The challenges and successes of transitioning to remote-first

(28:14) How remote work impacts employee meaning and connection

(30:31) The role of culture in a distributed workforce

(35:39) How Virta Health structures onboarding for remote employees

(38:54) HR as a product: Building an employee experience life cycle

(43:26) Why job leveling is the foundation of a strong HR function

(47:01) How to identify when compensation structures aren’t working

(49:30) Rapid fire questions

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214 - The anti-DEI push, RTO mandates, and is HR tech losing its way? Jan 31, 2025

Show notes

We talked about the growing backlash against DEI initiatives and why companies are scaling back their commitment, the potential hidden agendas behind RTO mandates, and the current frustrations with HR tech.

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Timestamps:

(08:11) The anti-DEI movement

(14:23) Did DEI programs scale too quickly post-2020?

(18:29) The role of activists in influencing corporate DEI rollbacks

(26:07) Are RTO mandates being used to justify workforce reductions?

(29:25) The impact of return-to-office policies

(36:58) The growing frustration with HR tech—why is it failing?

(45:42) Has AI-driven HR tech delivered on its promises?

(50:17) Are legacy HR systems holding companies back?

(57:00) The college admissions debate and perceptions of fairness in hiring

(01:05:44) One-word close

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213 - David Scott (Chief People & Administration Officer at ADT) on ADT's transformation to a tech company Jan 24, 2025

Show notes

Dave Scott, Chief People and Administration Officer at ADT, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We discussed ADT’s evolution from a services to tech company, Dave's journey from Walmart to leading HR at ADT, and how to cut costs in HR without cutting value.

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Timestamps:

06:39) Dave’s professional journey: From Walmart to ADT

(11:01) Dave’s early career as a professional clown

(12:33) ADT’s mission and transition to a technology company

(22:40) ADT’s transformation: A product-focused mindset

(27:51) Hiring strategies to attract tech talent at ADT

(30:39) Transforming the HR function at ADT

(35:24) Skills and organizational design for the future workforce

(41:34) Cost management strategies for HR in 2024 and beyond

(49:55) Rapid-fire questions

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212 - 2025 Predictions from LPGA's Chief People & Internal Operations Officer Jan 17, 2025

Show notes

Sam Simmons, Chief People and Internal Operations Officer at the LPGA, joined us on The Modern People Leader.

We talked about her transition from the San Antonio Spurs to the LPGA, 2025 HR predictions, and the LPGA People Team goals for the year.

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Timestamps:

(03:21) Sam’s journey to the LPGA

(14:47) Challenges and learnings from 2024

(17:42) Leadership goals for 2025

(21:25) Mantras for 2025

(23:26) Predictions for HR in 2025: Challenges and opportunities

(27:25) AI's role in HR: Optimizing work with tools

(29:54) Addressing key challenges in DEI and organizational change

(33:45) 2025 HR goals and Sam’s strategic planning approach

(40:33) The most critical HR goal for the LPGA in 2025

(46:16) HR tech stack considerations and streamlining processes

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