The HR Huddle

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech,Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss the implications of recent  M&A activity including Deel’s acquisition of Safeguard Global's payroll team, which brings with it more than 1,000 payroll clients; BTS Group’s acquisition of Sounding Board, a coaching and leadership development platform; and Employ’s acquisition of Pillar, bringing AI-enabled interviewing insights to Employ’s applicant tracking portfolio. Stacey and Cliff also unpack the broader significance of the just-announced strategic partnership between hireEZ, an AI-enabled hiring platform, with Talroo, a provider of AI-driven job advertising for frontline workers and tradespeople.

The hosts further discuss ways in which AI is being implemented across HR platforms, bringing in examples such as PlanSource's use of AI for benefits administration, SalaryIQ’s ability to uncover competitive job-related insights, and Engagedly's new AI-enabled talent platform. They also cover findings from Payscales’ 2025 report for compensation trends and  DEI investments.

Key points covered include:

↪️ M&A activity in the HR tech market was strong in 2024; Drake Star’s  Q4 2024 report showed the highest levels of activity and deal values and projected a 9.4% growth for HR tech in 2025.

↪️  Data analysis, chatbots, help tools, AI agents are among the primary ways AI is being used in HR tech applications; careful human oversight is important in all cases.  Using the tools in negative ways (such as monitoring employee conversations) results in employee distrust and renders the the tools ineffective. 

↪️ Despite political backlash around DEI initiatives, Payscale's 2025 report shows only 11% of organizations plan to reduce DEI investments while 28% plan to increase them.

↪️ HR technology solutions that help companies target frontline workers and tradespeople are seeing increased investment.  This is as-yet a largely untapped market and one that could be important in a time of economic uncertainty.

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Stacey Harris

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Cliff Stevenson

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In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper is joined by HR executive, Bob Hanley, and consultant, Kim Nugent, to examine the shift from tenure-based to skills-based promotion decisions. Both guests bring experience from major organizations including Abbott Labs, Whirlpool, and Microsoft. Their discussion explores generational workplace differences, remote work challenges, and methods for creating trust and psychological safety.

Key points covered include:

↪️ Organizations need flexible career architectures that allow employees, especially younger generations, to create their own career paths rather than following predetermined vertical progressions.

↪️ While technology and analytics have improved talent management, organizations still struggle with the human elements of development - including feedback, communication, and building trust in hybrid work environments.

↪️ HR leaders must balance remote/hybrid work options with intentional in-person experiences to build social networks and mentorship opportunities, particularly for early-career professionals.

↪️ Skills development serves as career security for employees, while organizations need to improve how they identify and sponsor talent beyond traditional experience requirements.

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Teri Zipper

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Bob Hanley

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Kim Nugent

LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss significant internal changes at major HR tech companies, including Workday, Zoho, Anaplan, Dayforce, and Darwinbox.  The conversation covers changes in leadership, funding news, workforce layoffs, hiring plans, and growth metrics.  

Key topics include:

↪️ Major changes at Workday: Plans to cut approximately 1,750 jobs as company doubles down on AI focus; former Google and SAP executive Garrit Kazmaier is replacing Sayan Chakrobarty as president of product and technology; and the just-announced strategic partnership with global talent company Randstad will integrate Workday’s recruiting agent, powered by Illuminate, with Randstad’s extensive talent network to bring AI support to recruiting and hiring processes.

Shailesh Kumar Davey has assumed the CEO role at Zoho, the Indian multinational tech company; he succeeds founder Sridhar Vembo, who now has the role of chief scientist and will focus fully on R&D initiatives.  

↪️ Darwinbox, another Indian company, is looking to raise $120 to $150 million to expand its global footprint, further product innovation, and increase its competitiveness with market leaders such as SAP, Successfactors, and Workday.

↪️ As return-to-office mandates continue to make the news, research shows that hybrid and remote work models can boost productivity by up to 12% compared to full-time office work. 

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Stacey Harris

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Cliff Stevenson

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In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Peter “The Culture Doctor” Phelan, Founder and CEO of ValuesCulture, explore the powerful role of humor in HR. Through personal anecdotes and scientific insights, Peter illustrates how incorporating appropriate humor can accelerate stakeholder relationships and make complex HR topics more engaging and accessible, while maintaining credibility and professionalism.

Key points covered include:

↪️ Leveraging humor strategically in professional settings requires an understanding of context and timing, with Peter sharing how his early experiences transitioning from academic presentations to Bloomberg Radio helped shape his approach to "edutainment" in corporate environments.

↪️ In an era of increasing AI adoption and workplace uncertainty, humor serves as a powerful differentiator and relationship builder, helping HR professionals become indispensable through stronger human connections with their stakeholders.

↪️ HR professionals who don't consider themselves naturally funny can still effectively incorporate humor by starting with curated content like relevant cartoons and gradually building confidence to share their own relatable workplace experiences.

↪️ The "Trust Equation" framework demonstrates how strategic use of humor can enhance professional relationships by building credibility and intimacy while reducing perceived self-orientation, creating stronger connections with stakeholders.

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Teri Zipper

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Peter Phelan

LinkedIn

ValuesCulture

LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson explore how companies like ADP, Phenom, Paradox, and HiBob are strategically expanding through acquisitions that enhance their data capabilities and global reach. They analyze how these developments reflect broader industry trends toward data-driven decision-making and the strategic integration of AI in HR processes. 

Key points covered include:

↪️ HiBob's pending acquisition of Mosaic for FP&A capabilities and ADP's expansion into Mexico through PEI signal a push toward integrated financial and workforce planning in the mid-market space.

↪️ Workday introduces an industry-first AI agent system of record, emphasizing the growing importance of managing and securing AI tools within HR systems.

↪️ Recent industry events, including Cornerstone's sales kickoff and Visier's conference, reveal increasing focus on skills development, workforce planning, and the critical importance of clean data for effective AI implementation.

↪️ The intersection of HR tech and business outcomes is becoming increasingly important, as evidenced by vendors expanding their capabilities beyond traditional HR functions.

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Stacey Harris

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Cliff Stevenson

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In this episode of HR, WE Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and employment attorney Heather Bussing discuss pay equity legislation and compliance, including the upcoming EU Pay Transparency Directive and its implications for organizations globally. The discussion explores how this directive represents a shift from traditional reactive employment laws to a more proactive, data-driven approach aimed at preventing pay discrimination.

Key points covered include:

↪️ The EU Pay Transparency Directive requires companies to share pay information with candidates before interviews, establish objective criteria for pay and promotions, and conduct pay equity audits with mandatory fixes for gaps exceeding 5%.

↪️ The impact on small businesses (under 100 employees).

↪️ Organizations need to move away from ad-hoc compensation decisions and focus on developing objective, data-driven strategies for pay, which will also help with broader initiatives around skills-based hiring and career pathing.

↪️ Modern technology and data analytics tools make it easier than ever to analyze and address pay equity issues, eliminating the need for complex manual calculations.

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Teri Zipper

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Heather Bussing

LinkedIn

discuss a very busy month in HR tech news.  The conversation starts with several significant acquisitions and partnerships, all related to bringing AI functionality to customers.  15Five's purchase of Kona promises management coaching powered by AI; Nayya’s integrations with bswift and Workday will bring personalized benefit guidance to employees.  The two also discuss Workday’s plan to roll out TechWolf’s skills intelligence capabilities to its 20,000+ employees. Cliff and Cindy then share their perspective on the potential industry impact of DeepSeek, the Chinese AI app that rivals ChatGPT in functionality. The discussion also touches on global pay and benefit regulatory changes and recent executive orders affecting DEI initiatives in the U.S.

Key points covered include:

↪️ Recent acquisitions, integration partnerships, and staffing announcements signal continued investments in AI capabilities for HR tech. Workday announces its plan to rollout TechWolf's AI-powered skills intelligence capabilities to its global workforce of 20,000+ employees with the goal of helping them better manage their careers.

↪️ A global wave of new pay and benefit regulations, ranging from Italy's parental benefits to Singapore's mental health protections, reflect a worldwide shift toward comprehensive workplace protection despite DEI rollbacks in the U.S.

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↪️ The DeepSeek AI app that rivals ChatGPT in terms of functionality but with 95% lower costs challenges assumptions about AI development and sends ripples through the tech market.  However, its China-based data centers raise questions about data security.

↪️ The recently announced The Stargate Project is a private joint venture initiative that promises to build AI infrastructure across the U.S.  Oracle, Softbank, and OpenAI are lead partners in the project, estimated to cost around $500B.  

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Cliff Stevenson

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Cindy Maurer

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In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest George LaRocque, Founder and Chief Analyst at WorkTech, explore the continued impact of AI on HR platforms, discussing how traditional HR tech is evolving into "work tech" with a focus on data-driven, employee-first solutions. The conversation covers critical considerations for HR leaders navigating this transition, from pricing models to strategic implementation. 

Key points covered include:

↪️ The shift from HR tech to work tech represents a fundamental change in how organizations handle workforce management, with emphasis on data relevance, interoperability, and employee-first design.

↪️ The emergence of AI agents is reshaping HR platforms, with a trend toward more integrated ecosystems. 

↪️ Organizations should approach their HR tech stack as an investment portfolio, carefully balancing innovation and risk when considering new technologies and, particularly startups.

↪️ HR tech vendors are grappling with new AI-driven pricing models, moving from traditional subscription-based pricing to usage-based and results-based structures.

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Teri Zipper

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George LaRocque

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WorkTech

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In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss a range of changes in the HR market, starting with Paychex's intent to acquire Paycor for $4.1 billion – a move that would impact the small- and mid-sized HR tech markets. They also cover key executive announcements, including new appointments at UKG and 15Five. The conversation culminates with insights from the World Economic Forum's latest report on the future of jobs, which identifies, broadening digital access, cost of living increases, and climate mitigation, and demographic shifts among the most important trends impacting workforces.

Key points covered include:

↪️ The Paychex’s pending acquisition of Paycor represents a strategic move to gain upmarket share. Stacey and Cliff discuss the signs pointing to market maturity in the payroll tech segment and the potential for further consolidation.

↪️ UKG makes a strategic leadership moves, by appointing as president and CFO Arlen Schenkman, who previously held senior executive roles at Boomi, Citrix, and SAP. 15Five adds to its board of directors Larry Donovan, who most recently was chief revenue officer for Dayforce. Stacey and Cliff talk about how these leaders could influence corporate strategies. 

↪️ The World Economic Forum 2025 report, The Future of Jobs, predicts that 39% of workers’ skills will become outdated within five years; the report identifies, analytical thinking, resilience, flexibility, and agility as critical competencies for the future.

↪️ NVIDIA's Jensen Huang suggests IT departments will become the "HR department for AI agents," raising important questions about the future relationship between HR and IT and the implementation and governance of AI-enabled systems..

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Cliff Stevenson

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In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Jeanne Achille, Founder & CEO at Devon Group, explore how organizations are grappling with AI implementation, from the ground-up adoption by employees to the challenges of executive oversight. They cover the importance of focusing on AI's benefits rather than limitations, particularly in HR where the technology is becoming increasingly embedded in daily operations. 

Key points covered include:

↪️ The rapid advancement of AI adoption (18-24 months) compared to previous tech transitions like the internet (8-10 years), requiring organizations to act quickly and strategically.

↪️ Organizations should focus on automating non-exception tasks first while maintaining human oversight for complex decision-making and exceptions.

↪️ Small and mid-sized companies are showing more agility in AI implementation compared to large enterprises, where IT-led initiatives often delay HR-related AI projects.

↪️ The growing need for executive-level understanding and involvement in AI strategy, as its impact spans across departments from HR to operations.

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Teri Zipper

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Jeanne Achille

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Devon Group

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