In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Shanda Mihali, Chief Human Resources Officer at Axiom Healthcare Services, a long-term health and assisted living organization serving communities across the U.S. Shanda brings a frontline perspective to HR transformation in one of the most compliance-driven industries, where the pressure to adopt AI collides with limited budgets, lean teams, and rising expectations.

Shanda shares how she navigates the tension between AI’s promise and the realities of HR leadership: from vendor overload and compliance guardrails to the ever-expanding definition of HR’s role in employee well-being, retention, and culture. Her story highlights both the risks of rushing adoption and the opportunities to reshape HR when technology handles the transactional, freeing people to focus on strategy and connection.

Topics Discussed:

• Why AI in HR feels like both the “wild west” and a lifeline for overloaded teams.
• The reality of “more with less”: shrinking budgets, lean staffing, and rising expectations.
• The pitfalls of vendor fatigue and the hard questions every CHRO should ask before buying.
• Balancing compliance, trust, and innovation in healthcare HR.
• How to leverage peer networks and roundtables to evaluate tools more effectively.
• Why adaptability, creativity, and willingness to explore matter more than perfect expertise.
• A vision of HR’s future: AI handling policies, handbooks, and routine Q&A while humans focus on well-being, retention, and creative strategy.
• Practical advice for early-career HR professionals looking to make the biggest impact on frontline staff.

If you’ve ever felt the weight of doing more with less while being pushed to innovate, this candid conversation with Shanda Mihaly is both validating and inspiring.

Additional Resources:

• Cleary’s AI-powered HR Chatbot
• Future Proof HR Community
• Connect with Shanda Mihali on LinkedIn