Kicking off a new season of Tech Connects, our new host Paul Farnsworth sits down with Amy Thibodeau, Chief Design Officer at Gusto, a platform that helps over 400,000 small businesses manage payroll, benefits, and HR functions. Amy leads product design, user research, content design, and brand design teams, giving her a comprehensive view of how AI is reshaping creative work across organizations.

We explore how AI is transforming design and creative roles—not by replacing human designers, but by accelerating workflows and blurring traditional job boundaries. Amy explains how AI serves as a "sidekick" that handles time-consuming tasks like research transcription and theme analysis, while enabling designers to focus on higher-value creative work. She discusses the emergence of "design engineers" and why traditional career swim lanes are disappearing as collaboration becomes more fluid.

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion for tech professionals navigating AI's impact on creative and collaborative work:

Embrace AI as a Workflow Accelerator, Not a Replacement: AI excels at handling tedious, non-creative tasks like transcribing user research, analyzing themes, and creating rapid prototypes. This frees up human creative energy for problem-solving, customer empathy, and strategic thinking. Focus on identifying which parts of your workflow can be automated versus which require human insight and creativity.

Develop Cross-Functional Skills to Stay Relevant: Traditional role boundaries are dissolving as AI tools make it easier for designers to code, product managers to prototype, and teams to collaborate more fluidly. Invest in learning complementary skills outside your primary discipline—whether that's basic coding, research methods, or business strategy—to increase your versatility and value.

Prioritize Curiosity and Adaptability Over Credentials: When hiring or developing your career, demonstrate active engagement with new tools and approaches rather than relying solely on traditional qualifications. The pace of change means that specific tool expertise becomes obsolete quickly, but curiosity, learning agility, and willingness to experiment remain valuable across technological shifts.

Cultivate "Taste" and Customer-Centric Judgment: As AI democratizes creation, the ability to distinguish good work from mediocre output becomes increasingly valuable. Develop deep empathy for end users, understand business context, and build the judgment to evaluate whether AI-generated work truly solves customer problems. This human discernment represents a sustainable competitive advantage in an AI-abundant world.

There was a lot more in this episode, of course, so listen in. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find and hire the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career.

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Our guest on 'Tech Connects' is Scott Brighton, CEO of Bonterra, a software company focused on social good that helps nonprofits raise money, manage donor relationships, and report on impact outcomes while connecting them with funders looking to give money away.

We explore how AI is transforming the nonprofit sector—an area where efficiency demands are actually more intense than in for-profit companies. Scott explains how nonprofits operate under extreme constraints and why agentic AI represents a crucial breakthrough for organizations that can't afford additional staff but desperately need expanded capacity.

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion for tech professionals working with AI or considering nonprofit sector applications:

Recognize Efficiency Imperatives in Mission-Driven Organizations: Nonprofits typically operate with just 20% overhead—equivalent to an 80% profit margin in for-profit terms. This creates urgent need for AI solutions that amplify human capacity rather than simply optimizing existing processes. Understanding these extreme efficiency requirements can inform how you design and implement AI systems for resource-constrained organizations.

Focus on Agentic AI for Capacity Amplification: The future lies in agentic AI systems that handle complete workflows independently, like researching and writing grant applications or managing donor relationships across multiple channels. These systems essentially create "new team members" for organizations that can't hire additional staff, representing a shift from task automation to organizational capacity expansion.

Address Data Challenges Through Strategic Partnerships: Smaller organizations often lack robust datasets needed for effective AI implementation. Rather than building from scratch, partnering with platforms that aggregate data across many similar organizations can provide immediate value while allowing entities to build their own datasets over time. Consider collaborative approaches to unlock AI benefits for traditionally underserved sectors.

Champion Transparent and Ethical AI Implementation: Organizations focused on social good are particularly concerned about AI transparency and bias removal due to their mission-driven nature and lower technical sophistication. Developing AI solutions that prioritize explainability and ethical considerations from the ground up will become increasingly valuable as AI adoption spreads to sectors where trust and transparency are paramount.

There was a lot more in this episode, of course, so listen in. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find and hire the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career.

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Our guest on 'Tech Connects' is Dr. Rebecca Swift, Senior Vice President of Creative at Getty Images, which provides licensed visual content to businesses worldwide. Rebecca oversees Getty's creative team that works with photographers, filmmakers, and visual researchers to understand market trends and guide their community of over half a billion creators.

We explore how AI-generated imagery is reshaping visual content and what this means for tech professionals and creative businesses. Rebecca shares insights about the rapid shift in public perception of AI content, legal challenges, and how the creative industry is adapting.

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion for tech professionals working with visual content or AI tools:

Understand the Trust Factor in AI Content: Consumer excitement about AI imagery has shifted to widespread distrust due to deepfakes and misleading content. Trust is fundamental to brand relationships, so factor consumer sentiment into AI content decisions. Many consumers now prefer verified authentic imagery over AI-generated alternatives.

Navigate the Legal Complexities: AI-generated images can't be copyrighted, only prompts can be protected. Many AI tools use web-scraped content without proper licensing, creating IP infringement risks. Work with services that provide legal safeguards rather than open-source tools that may expose your organization to liability.

Use AI for Modification, Not Pure Generation: AI excels at modifying existing content and creating iterations for marketing campaigns rather than generating entirely new authentic imagery. Becoming skilled at AI prompting requires significant time investment and is a distinct skill from traditional creative work.

Leverage Authenticity as Competitive Advantage: As AI content becomes common, there's growing demand for authentic, locally-sourced content that captures current realities missing from AI training datasets. Areas like remote work culture and sustainability present opportunities for genuine human creativity.

There was a lot more in this episode, of course, so listen in. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find and hire the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career.

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Our next guest on 'Tech Connects' is Harry Wang, Chief Growth Officer at Sonar, a Geneva-headquartered company that's been helping developers build better, safer software faster for 16 years. Sonar serves over 7 million developers worldwide by providing insights on code quality, vulnerabilities, and security directly in developers' workflows. With AI-driven coding becoming increasingly prevalent across organizations, I wanted to talk with Harry about how companies can effectively integrate these powerful tools while maintaining security and governance standards. At the same time, I was curious to explore how AI is reshaping the very nature of software development roles and what that means for engineers at every level.

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion for any tech professionals navigating AI integration in their organizations:

Start with Pilot Projects and Gather Comprehensive Feedback: Don't roll out AI tools to everyone at once. Instead, test different AI coding tools with small groups first. Get feedback from developers about what helps them work better, and ask your security team about potential risks. Run these tests for a few months to really understand what works and what doesn't before making bigger decisions about which tools to use company-wide.

Cultivate AI Champions from Multiple Organizational Levels: AI adoption happens in different ways across your organization. Some developers will experiment with tools on their own, while management might run formal tests, and executives might push for company-wide AI strategies. Recognize that AI advocates come from all levels and backgrounds, so work with whoever is enthusiastic about these tools to help spread adoption throughout your company.

Invest in Tailored Training and Prompt Engineering Skills: Help your team get better at using AI tools effectively. This means learning how to ask AI the right questions to get useful answers, sharing successful approaches with teammates, and providing formal training through online courses or internal workshops. Think of it as building up your team's ability to work well with AI, just like any other skill.

Embrace AI as Career Augmentation, Not Replacement: Instead of worrying that AI will take your job, use it to do more interesting work. AI can handle boring coding tasks, write tests, and complete routine functions, which frees you up to focus on bigger picture problems like system design and architecture. This is actually an opportunity to level up your role and work on the strategic challenges you've always wanted to tackle.

Implement Robust Governance and Security Oversight: As more people in your company use AI coding tools—including non-technical staff—you need clear rules and safety checks. AI can make mistakes, suggest risky code, or import dangerous third-party libraries. Make sure you have tools and processes in place to catch these problems, and keep humans involved in reviewing and approving AI-generated code.

There was a lot more in that chat, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career.

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Our next guest on 'Tech Connects' is Eric Wang, VP of AI at Turnitin, which provides tools to academic institutions for everything from course assessment to academic integrity. For example, they have a platform that detects the use of AI in students' papers. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are having a huge impact right now on how students learn and educators teach, and I wanted to talk with Eric about how the education industry is navigating these changes. At the same time, I also wanted to dig a bit into how AI is changing the very nature of education, training, and ultimately work itself.

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion for any tech professionals interested in how AI will impact training, education, and work both in the near- and long-term.

Embrace AI as a Tool, Understand Its Nuances: As a tech professional, recognize that AI is a powerful and transformative tool, not an inherent threat. Understand its capabilities and limitations, particularly the distinction between AI's human-like abilities and uniquely human traits like creativity and genuine connection. Focus on how AI can augment your work and learning, but also identify areas where human ingenuity and critical thinking remain paramount. Be prepared to navigate the evolving landscape of AI integration in your field and advocate for ethical and productive use.

Acknowledge and Address User Anxiety Around AI: Be aware that the adoption of AI can generate significant anxiety, even among those who stand to benefit. This is particularly true for individuals early in their careers or those facing substantial shifts in established workflows. As a tech professional, you have a role in fostering understanding and trust around AI. This involves clear communication about its purpose and limitations, establishing guidelines for its ethical use, and supporting those who may feel uncertain about its impact on their roles and future prospects.

Cultivate "Human-Centric" Skills in an AI-Driven World: Recognize that the increasing capabilities of AI in handling routine and even complex tasks will elevate the importance of uniquely human skills. Focus on developing your creative intuition, problem-solving abilities, and capacity for collaboration and communication. The future of tech will likely favor those who can define problems, envision innovative solutions, and lead teams (which may include AI agents) effectively. Prioritize continuous learning in areas that complement AI's strengths.

Contribute to the Development of Responsible AI Integration: As a tech professional, your expertise is crucial in shaping the responsible integration of AI. This includes building tools that promote transparency and understanding of AI's role in various processes, such as learning and assessment. Consider how AI can be used to augment human capabilities, automate tedious tasks, and provide valuable insights without replacing human judgment entirely. Advocate for and contribute to the development of frameworks and best practices that ensure AI is used ethically, effectively, and in a way that fosters trust and positive outcomes across industries.

There was a lot more in that chat, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career. 

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Hello, and welcome to Tech Connects, Dice's podcast where we dig into the topics on tech hiring, recruiting and careers that matter to you. I'm your host, Nick Kolakowski, and today we're going to be talking about learning and development with Becky Wallace, head of people at LearnUpon.

As we’ll get into, LearnUpon builds tools for employee training and learning. I wanted to talk to Becky because she’s been involved in HR and tech for quite some time, including stints at Yahoo and Etsy, and she has incredible insight into how learning and development programs can impact everything from employee morale to retention. Given how tech companies everywhere seem to be wrestling with exactly those issues, it’s critical to have this discussion.

Here are some quick additional takeaways:

When it comes to learning and development, consider management and specialist tracks: Not all talented tech professionals are best suited for people management. To retain specialists and maximize their expertise, companies must create clear, alternative growth paths, such as distinguished engineer or principal specialist roles. These paths should offer increasing responsibility, complexity, and compensation without requiring individuals to oversee teams. Managers should work with their team members to identify these diverse avenues for advancement, and then implement the right training and learning support.

Integrate learning directly into the daily work environment—and make it practical: Managers should recognize that finding dedicated time for employee learning outside of core responsibilities is a major barrier. Companies and managers should explore ways to embed learning within the workflow itself. This could involve encouraging on-the-job learning. Remember: collaboration, tackling new challenges, and even participating in meetings are learning opportunities. Consider piloting new learning initiatives with smaller teams first to refine them based on real-world feedback before a broader rollout, ensuring the learning is relevant and applicable to employees' day-to-day tasks.

Link learning to tangible business outcomes: For companies, it’s critical to move beyond viewing learning and development (or L&D, as some like to call it) as merely a cost center. What does this mean from a management perspective? It means framing L&D initiatives as essential investments by mapping how training activities contribute to achieving key business objectives. You can also use data to demonstrate impact, tracking metrics such as employee retention rates (especially reasons for leaving), engagement survey results, productivity improvements, and successful internal mobility.

Foster a visible culture of continuous learning: A true learning culture is more than just making resources available. It's about a company’s leadership demonstrating a commitment to development and embedding it into the organizational DNA. Senior management and HR should align learning programs with overarching business goals and HR strategy, perhaps even incorporating competencies and skills development into company-wide objectives (like OKRs). In that spirit, it’s critical to regularly check in on progress, communicate successes, and visibly champion learning initiatives. This consistent practice shows employees that learning is a valued priority, encouraging them to actively engage in their own development and contributing to a more resilient and innovative workforce.

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There was a lot more in that discussion, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career. 

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Our next guest on ‘Tech Connects’ is Kara Sprague, CEO of HackerOne. With over two decades of experience as a tech leader, Kara has held significant roles at F5, McKinsey, Oracle, and Hewlett-Packard, culminating in her current leadership at HackerOne. She also served on the board of Girls Who Code, a nonprofit dedicated to achieving gender parity in technology jobs.

Given that background, she brings a unique perspective on the intersection of technology, leadership, and diversity, and I wanted to talk with her about the idea that diversity and meritocracy are not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary forces for organizational success. Given the ongoing discussions about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the U.S., her insights on achieving top business results through diverse teams make for a fascinating interview. Let’s jump in!

Here are some quick takeaways from this discussion:

·     Progress in Achieving Gender Parity Remains Incremental: While awareness and discourse regarding diversity in technology have increased, statistical progress in achieving gender parity has been slow. Graduating rates of women in STEM fields and their representation in technical workforces, particularly in executive roles, have shown limited improvement. Organizations must recognize that achieving meaningful change requires sustained, long-term commitment and systematic efforts to address underlying barriers.

·     Diversity is a Catalyst for Enhanced Performance: Research consistently demonstrates that diverse teams exhibit superior performance due to varied perspectives, reduced cognitive biases, and diverse problem-solving approaches. Companies should prioritize building diverse teams to enhance productivity and creativity. Furthermore, they should develop methods to measure the impact of diversity initiatives, recognizing that improvements may not be immediately quantifiable but will yield significant long-term benefits.

·     Navigating the Dual Nature of AI in Cybersecurity is Critical: The advancement of AI presents both opportunities and challenges in cybersecurity. While AI tools can augment cyberattacks, they are also essential for defenders to scale their impact and address the cybersecurity talent gap. Organizations must be cognizant of the potential for AI tools to perpetuate biases and ensure that human oversight and discernment are maintained in their application, particularly in recruitment and talent management.

·     Implementing Systemic Changes to Foster Inclusion is also Important: To support women aspiring to leadership roles and to create inclusive environments, companies must adopt systemic changes. This includes removing bias from recruitment, evaluation, and promotion processes, and establishing programs that foster a sense of belonging. The selection of AI tools should prioritize those with reduced bias, and organizations should move beyond mere rhetoric to implement concrete, measurable actions that promote diversity and inclusion at all levels.

There was a lot more in that discussion, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for technologists, the best place to grow your tech career. 

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Our next guest on ‘Tech Connects’ is Paul Farnsworth, who’s president of Dice. I wanted to talk to Paul because he’s had a long career in tech as a specialist and a manager. He’s overseen huge teams, worked on complex projects, and deeply understands the tech industry.

With that in mind, I wanted to ask him about the current tech landscape, and how he thinks tech pros can best prepare themselves to meet the current moment. Let’s listen in!

No matter what your position in the tech industry, or your career goals, I feel Paul offered some crucial advice. Here are the quick takeaways:

·     First, Choose Your Path Wisely… and Stay Updated: As your tech career progresses, you'll likely face a choice between deep technical specialization and moving into management. Both require continuous learning. If you lean towards the technical side, make it a priority to explore and master emerging technologies like AI to remain relevant. Don't overlook the value of older, established technologies where expertise is becoming scarce, though be mindful of potential limitations in career flexibility. Regardless of your chosen path, actively cultivate your networking skills – they are universally valuable.

·     Second, Managers Should Prioritize Business and People Skills: If you're on or aspiring to a management role, the focus shifts from solely technical prowess to understanding and driving business objectives. Develop strong soft skills: make sound decisions aligned with business needs, master negotiation (especially around project constraints), and hone your presentation abilities to effectively communicate with diverse audiences. While your technical background is valuable, your ability to lead, collaborate, and prioritize business outcomes will be key to your success.

·     Third, It’s Critical to Network Strategically and Consistently: Building a strong professional network is vital for career growth, particularly for those early in their careers. Start by connecting with colleagues within your current organization. Crucially, maintain relationships with past colleagues as they move on to new roles – these connections can open future doors. Expand your reach by tapping into your network's connections. Make an effort to stay in touch regularly, even when you don't need something, and consider participating in local tech meetups to build in-person relationships and enhance your communication skills.

·     Fourth, It’s also Critical to Embrace Change and Demonstrate Value: The tech industry is constantly evolving, especially with the rise of AI. Be adaptable and maintain a curious mindset, continuously exploring new technologies. Focus on understanding how these changes can bring tangible benefits to your business – either by increasing revenue or improving efficiency. By aligning your skills with these business drivers and demonstrating your ability to contribute to these outcomes, you will remain a valuable asset. Remember that while technical expertise is important, being a collaborative and effective team player is equally crucial for long-term success.

There was a lot more in that discussion, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for technologists, the best place to grow your tech career. 

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On our next episode of ‘Tech Connects,’ we’re talking to two guests about a new report that dives deep into tech workplace and culture, especially as it relates to crucial issues such as age and gender.

Here’s our lineup for today. There’s Pam Nigro, who’s VP, security/security officer at Medecision, and an ISACA board director. There’s also Anna Murray, who’s founder, president and lead consultant of emedia, a SheLeadsTech Advisory Council member, and co-founder of a tech startup in the secure information exchange space called SIX3R0. In addition to their tech experience, both have insights into the experiences of women in the tech space.

Pam and Anna are going to walk me through the ISACA’s recent Tech Workplace and Culture 2025 survey report, which revealed how much tech pros prize life-work balance, how only 22 percent have a mentor despite a majority wanting one, and how 37 percent of women in tech have experienced gender discrimination at work, versus nine percent of men. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the current state of tech, so let’s jump in!

Here are some takeaways from our discussion: 

·     Foster Community and Emphasize Problem-Solving: If you’re a manager, you need to cultivate a strong sense of community and collaboration within technology teams, as this significantly contributes to employee retention. That means highlighting the intellectual challenges and opportunities for problem-solving inherent in tech roles, as these are key motivators for many tech pros.

·     Prioritize Mentorship and Sponsorship, and Understand Their Differences: For companies, it’s critical to recognize the importance of both mentorship and sponsorship in career development. Everyone needs to understand that mentorship involves guidance, while sponsorship entails actively advocating for and opening doors for individuals. As managers, you should aim to create opportunities for organic mentorship connections and consider implementing structured programs within organizations.

·     Address Job Churn and Create Diverse Career Paths: It’s important to acknowledge that younger professionals often seek rapid career advancement and may leave jobs due to boredom. Companies should offer engaging projects and establish clear career pathways, including options for those who excel as individual contributors.

·     Promote Inclusive Practices to Combat Discrimination: It’s critical for everyone in tech to actively work to eliminate gender discrimination through awareness and inclusive leadership. That also means implementing unconscious bias training, encouraging a culture where all contributions are valued and credited, and advocating for diverse hiring practices.

We hope this episode has helped you with some new insights into mentorship, inclusion within the tech industry, and more. We'll see you next time-and remember, we are your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for technologists, the best place to grow your tech career.

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Our guest today is James Raybould, who’s Head of Turing Intelligence at Turing, a company building AI solutions for a variety of organizations. In addition, Turing also helps clients train large language models, or LLMs, which power the chatbots that millions of people use every day. James’s team leverages the latest research to build AI systems that help businesses transform. If there’s one thing we can say about the digital revolution these days, it’s on steroids thanks to AI.

I really wanted to talk to James because of his fascinating insights into how companies are adopting AI, the kinds of AI skills that tech professionals might need to succeed in this rapidly changing world, and the future of AI itself, which will include things like software agents working in sync to help humans accomplish their daily tasks.

Here are some quick takeaways as you think through the best ways to deploy AI within your own organization:

Prioritize Problem-Solving Over Tech Adoption: Don't rush to integrate AI simply because it's the latest trend. Before implementing any AI solution, clearly define the specific business problem you're trying to solve. Conduct thorough workflow analyses and understand the desired outcomes. This strategic approach ensures AI is used effectively and avoids wasted resources on unnecessary integrations. Focus on the customer in approach, not the technology out approach. Sometimes, the best solution won't involve AI at all.

Continuously Upskill and Adapt to Evolving AI Landscapes: Recognize that the tech industry has a diverse range of AI proficiency. Whether you're a seasoned developer or a newcomer, commit to continuous learning. Stay updated on the latest AI tools, methodologies, and advancements. Be prepared to adapt your skills and knowledge as the AI landscape evolves. Leverage training opportunities and engage with communities to bridge any knowledge gaps. Understand that embracing AI is a journey, and that everyone is at a different place on that journey.

Embrace AI as a Tool for Creative Empowerment: See AI not as a job replacement, but as a powerful tool that enhances your capabilities. Leverage AI to automate routine coding tasks, freeing up time for higher-level strategic thinking and innovation. Focus on developing your editing and curating skills to refine AI-generated code. Anticipate a shift towards managing and directing AI agents, and begin developing the necessary skills for this future role. Explore and experiment with AI-powered development tools to enhance your productivity and creative output.

Cultivate Effective Communication and Iteration with AI: Recognize that interacting with AI agents is fundamentally different from working with humans. Embrace the efficiency and directness that AI offers, while also understanding the importance of clear and precise communication. Master the art of prompt engineering to elicit desired outputs. Be prepared to iterate and refine your interactions with AI, continuously improving its performance. Understand that human oversight remains crucial for ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of AI-driven workflows. Practice clear communication, and understand that you will be able to iterate much faster with AI than with humans.

There was a lot more in that discussion, of course, so give it another listen if you feel so inclined. Thank you for joining us—and remember, Dice is your best resource to find the tech talent you need to fill your open roles, and for tech pros, the best place to grow your tech career. 

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