Clear Pay, Real Trust: Dallas College’s Deputy CHRO on Employee Experience and AI

Summary

When compensation gets complex, trust erodes.

Eric A. Rodriguez, Deputy CHRO at Dallas College, shares how he simplifies pay and benefits to reduce anxiety and build credibility—grounded in a personal money story that equates every paycheck with unseen effort, dignity, and stability.

With oversight of HR operations, shared services, HRIS, and quality improvement, Eric explains how to move HR from programs to operational excellence: communicate early, remove jargon, and design for the day-to-day employee experience.

He details a practical model for bridging leadership and employee needs, why “best practices” must be tailored to each organization, and how a culture of curiosity turns employees into co-creators.

Eric also breaks down Dallas College’s HR transformation, from clearer ways of working across EX centers, COEs, and HRBPs to de-risking AI through hands-on training.

Expect real examples—from a kid-run car wash to grocery-store tips that shaped his service mindset—and actionable guidance on role-based flexibility, development that employees actually want, and leading with the “why” behind work.

Timestamps

[00:18] – From sales to senior HR: Eric’s role and remit at Dallas College (HR ops, shared services, HRIS, QA)

[02:23] – Money as sacrifice and dignity: how early lessons shape views on pay

[04:19] – First jobs: entrepreneurship, tips, and the power of service

[08:46] – Turning beliefs into practice: trust, stability, and plain-language pay/benefits

[12:27] – Where comp/benefits break down: overcomplexity, late comms, copy-paste “best practices”

[15:21] – Bridging the gap: the “why” behind work, autonomy, and modern leadership

[19:51] – Beyond surveys: building a culture of curiosity and treating employees like customers

[22:34] – Transforming HR: operating excellence, EX centers/COEs/HRBPs, and AI training to reduce fear

[26:14] – What’s next: AI adoption, RTO nuance, and role-based flexibility

Takeaways

- Simplify pay and benefits—strip jargon to build trust and reduce employee anxiety.

- Communicate early and often; co-design solutions with leaders and employees.

- Customize “best practices” to your culture, workforce mix, and stage of maturity.

- Treat employees like customers—ask specific, frequent questions to uncover real needs.

- Invest in development that matters (especially AI literacy) to drive engagement and retention.

- Define flexibility by role and outcomes, pairing empathy with high-performance expectations.

Sponsor

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