From Burnout to “Rust Out”: Boston Globe Media’s CHRO on Culture, AI, and Re‑Engaging Hybrid Teams

Summary

How do you build a high-performance culture when hybrid work frays connection and engagement?

Rodrigo Tajonar, Chief Human Resources Officer at Boston Globe Media (home to The Boston Globe, STAT, Boston.com, Globe Opinion, and Boston Magazine), unpacks two urgent challenges for people leaders: culture in a hybrid world and the rise of “rust out”—erosion of creativity and motivation—versus traditional burnout.

Rodrigo shares practical ways managers can rekindle energy and trust, including the company’s Let’s Connect program that scales leadership access and cross-team connection beyond HQ.

He also dives into AI in a newsroom: why AI should be an input (not the output), how in-house tools help reporters craft smarter headlines, and how data helps personalize subscriber engagement.

On the HR side, he outlines automating tier-one requests with an internal HR bot to free HR for strategy, and a vision for modern L&D—short, just‑in‑time, AI-assisted coaching for real moments like delivering feedback or navigating conflict.

He closes with grounded advice for HR leaders: stay humble, be friendly (not everyone’s friend), and borrow shamelessly from your network.

Timestamps

[00:40] – The Boston Globe Media footprint and Rodrigo’s CHRO remit

[02:21] – 2025 challenge #1: Culture, hybrid work, and closing the engagement gap

[05:39] – Burnout vs. “rust out”: what differs and how HR can spot each

[10:20] – Rebuilding connection: the Let’s Connect program and leadership lunches across sites

[11:46] – AI in media: input vs. output, an in-house headline tool, and data-driven subscriber engagement

[16:40] – HR automation: rolling out a tier-one HR bot to unlock strategic HR time

[19:40] – Rethinking L&D: microlearning, just-in-time guidance, and AI role‑play for tough conversations

[23:07] – Practical advice for HR leaders: humility, boundaries, and “borrow shamelessly”

Takeaways

- Diagnose “rust out” vs. burnout—address workload and wellbeing for burnout; rebuild purpose, creativity, and connection to combat rust out.

- Create intentional connection rituals (e.g., leadership lunches, cross-site meetups) to make hybrid work feel human.

- Set AI guardrails: use AI as an input for ideation and speed, not as the final source—especially in fact-checking environments.

- Automate tier-one HR requests with an internal bot to deliver fast answers and refocus HR on coaching, strategy, and culture.

- Redesign L&D for impact: short, scenario-based microlearning with AI prompts and role-play to support managers in the moment.

- Coach managers to model energy and clarity—regular check-ins, mentoring, and explicit expectations drive engagement across generations.

Sponsor

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