HR Leaders

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Alejandra Piñol, Deputy Chief HR Officer at IKEA, to explore how one of the world’s most iconic brands keeps its culture alive while transforming at global scale. Alejandra opens up about leading through rapid change and protecting the company’s unique values across more than 170,000 co-workers and 60 countries.

She shares how IKEA empowers its frontline teams through trust and autonomy, and how simplicity has become the foundation of their HR transformation. Alejandra explains the importance of listening to co-workers, building leaders from within, and keeping people, not process, at the heart of every decision.

From balancing consistency and local relevance to nurturing humility and belonging, this episode is a blueprint for scaling culture without losing your soul.

🎓 In this episode, Alejandra discusses:

1. Balancing global culture with local flexibility
2. Building humble, values-driven leaders from within
3. Simplifying HR so leaders can focus on people, not process
4. Protecting IKEA’s values while scaling across 60+ countries
5. Empowering frontline co-workers through trust and autonomy

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Workhuman

Discover how to Build Human-Centred Workplaces which Thrive! → https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/the-human-centred-workplace-building-organisational-cultures-that-thrive-emea/

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In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst and CEO of The Josh Bersin Company, breaks down the AI revolution transforming HR and the workforce.

Josh explains how AI is creating the era of the “Superworker” - empowering employees to do more, learn faster, and take on higher-value roles. He reveals why HR must lead the AI agenda, how to frame AI as a growth opportunity (not a threat), and what it takes to build a culture of continuous reinvention instead of one-time transformation.

From rethinking job structures to designing intelligent employee experiences with digital agents, this episode uncovers what forward-thinking CHROs are doing to turn fear into curiosity and shape the human future of AI at work.

🎓 In this episode, Josh discusses:

1. How AI is creating the Superworker era
2. How to build a culture of curiosity, not fear
3. Why HR must move from projects to continuous reinvention
4. The importance of framing AI as empowerment, not replacement
5. The impact of AI-driven agents like Galileo on employee experience

Discover how to Build Human-Centred Workplaces which Thrive! → https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/the-human-centred-workplace-building-organisational-cultures-that-thrive-emea/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this haunted edition of the HR Leaders Podcast, behavioral scientist and Founder & Host at Influencers: Jon Levy joins us to reveal the chilling science behind why some teams rise from the dead and others crumble into dusty skeletons.

We explore what truly drives high-performing teams in a world where hybrid work can feel like a ghost town 👻

Jon explains why organizations must stop obsessing over lone “superstars” and instead invest in glue people, belonging, and intentional connection.

We also unpack how psychological safety, shared rituals, and team norms bring culture to life, and how to protect your organization from “energy vampires” that drain morale 🎃

🎓 In this episode, Jon discusses:

1. How belonging and trust fuel performance
2. Why teams outperform superstar individuals
3. Rituals leaders can use to bring culture to life
4. The impact of glue people vs energy-drainers
5. Why hybrid work fails without intentional connection

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In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Anoop Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO at SeekOut, joins to discuss how AI is redefining recruiting, roles, and the future of work.

Anoop shares his journey from Stanford professor and Microsoft executive to leading one of the fastest-growing AI talent platforms in the world. He explains how AI agents are already transforming recruiting - automating 70% of repetitive tasks - while freeing humans to focus on relationships, creativity, and strategy.

He also unpacks how CHROs must prepare for a future where AI and humans collaborate as equals, why recruiters will evolve into true talent advisors, and how to experiment safely with AI to stay ahead of the curve.

🎓 In this episode, Anoop discusses:

1. How to use AI to make hiring faster and more human
2. How AI agents are changing the recruiter’s role forever
3. Why CHROs must redefine work before AI does it for them
4. What the future of AI-human collaboration will look like in HR
5. Why every company should start experimenting with agentic AI now

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In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Sam Schlimper, Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise, shares how to reimagine work and unlock human potential in the age of AI.

Sam explains why transformation shouldn’t start with systems or processes, but with people - their motivations, values, and sense of purpose. She discusses how AI can be a powerful catalyst for creativity and growth when designed with intention, and why the real challenge isn’t technology, but rediscovering what makes work meaningful for humans.

The conversation dives deep into how to redesign jobs, rethink emerging talent, and rebuild organizations around joy, curiosity, and connection - not just productivity.

🎓 In this episode, Sam discusses:

1. Why joy and curiosity drive real performance
2. What sustainable transformation really looks like
3. How AI can amplify, not replace, human creativity
4. How to rethink emerging talent for the next generation
5. Why work should start with people, not processes or tools

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In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Mark Lobosco, VP of Talent Solutions at LinkedIn, about the launch of LinkedIn’s new Hiring Assistant and how AI is transforming recruiting.

Mark reflects on his 17-year journey at LinkedIn, where he leads global client-facing teams and helps organizations hire faster and smarter. He breaks down how AI is reshaping recruiting workflows, freeing recruiters from administrative work, and helping them find hidden talent with unprecedented precision.

Mark also explains how LinkedIn built the tool responsibly, with transparency and trust at the core, and shares what’s next for recruiters as skills evolve faster than ever.

🎓 In this episode, Mark discusses:

• Launching LinkedIn’s new AI-powered Hiring Assistant
• Why AI fluency is the #1 skill for recruiters in 2025 and beyond
• How trust, transparency, and change management drive adoption
• How recruiters save 4 hours per role and get 69% better candidate responses
• Why 70% of job skills will change by 2030 - and what HR leaders must do now

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In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Bryan Power, Head of People at Nextdoor, about leading through transformation, building a “founder’s mentality” culture, and why HR must take the lead on AI adoption.

Bryan shares lessons from scaling Google, Square, and Yahoo before joining Nextdoor, where he helped navigate an IPO, COVID, and now AI disruption. He introduces Project NAI-BOR (Nextdoor Artificial Intelligence Building Operational Readiness), explains how to unleash safe experimentation, and why HR can’t afford to be a passenger in the AI shift.

The conversation also covers mental health, hybrid work, and the next frontier of employee experience.

🎓 In this episode, Bryan discusses:

1. Mental health as today’s workplace injury
2. How to manage the uncomfortable truths of hybrid work
3. How Project NAI-BOR helps HR lead AI adoption at scale
4. Why a founder’s mentality creates urgency and frontline focus
5. Balancing experimentation with structure in AI policy and rollout

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Greenhouse.

Get measurably better at hiring with smarter, more efficient solutions – powered by built-in AI: https://www.greenhouse.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Heidi Barnett, President of Talent Acquisition at isolved, about how AI is reshaping recruiting and why candidate experience now matters more than ever.

Heidi shares her journey from marketing into HR tech leadership and explains why the best recruiters today act more like growth leaders. She discusses the shift from sourcing to screening, why resumes are becoming obsolete, and how AI exposes broken hiring processes.

The conversation explores how TA teams can reduce burnout, partner better with CHROs, and reimagine hiring from the ground up in the age of AI.

🎓 In this episode, Heidi discusses:

1. The shift from sourcing to screening in hiring
2. Why resumes and degrees are becoming less relevant
3. How AI frees recruiters to focus on human connection
4. How CHROs can reduce TA burnout and drive hiring success
5. Why recruiters must now design marketing-style candidate experiences

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Greenhouse.

Get measurably better at hiring with smarter, more efficient solutions – powered by built-in AI: https://www.greenhouse.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Donnie Upshaw, Chief People Officer & Senior Vice President at Wingstop Restaurants Inc., about scaling one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands while protecting culture and developing frontline talent.

Donnie shares how 70% of Wingstop’s general managers started as hourly employees, why the GM role is the most important in the company, and how intentional development, micro-learning, and recognition fuel growth. He also explains how Wingstop uses storytelling, internal podcasts, and community giving to connect 47,000+ team members worldwide.

🎓 In this episode, Donnie discusses:

1. Why 70% of Wingstop GMs started as hourly employees
2. Why the GM is the single most important role in the business
3. How to scale culture across 2,800 restaurants in 15 countries
4. Building connection through storytelling, recognition, and community giving
5. Using micro-learning, gamification, and mobile tools for frontline development

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Greenhouse.

Get measurably better at hiring with smarter, more efficient solutions – powered by built-in AI: https://www.greenhouse.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we speak with Elle Lebourg, Global Head of Talent Acquisition at Hilti Group, about transforming TA to hire 55,000 people in six years while protecting culture and experience.

Elle explains why classic change models fall short, how authentic communication sustains engagement, and why TA must adopt a product mindset. She shares how Hilti maps candidate journeys, balances global standards with local nuance, and keeps people, not tools, at the center of transformation.

🎓 In this episode, Elle discusses:

1. Using raw, authentic communication to build trust in transformation
2. Balancing global standards with local cultural nuance in every market
3. Running TA like a product team with journey mapping and key moments
4. Why focusing on how people feel sustains change better than old models
5. Hiring 55,000 people in six years and what it takes to scale TA responsibly

🙏‍ Thanks you to our series partner - Greenhouse.

Get measurably better at hiring with smarter, more efficient solutions – powered by built-in AI: https://www.greenhouse.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.