Up Next @ Work

Up Next @ Work

By WRKdefinedBusinessTechnologyManagement
Download on the App Store

Up Next @ Work episodes

  • Up Next @ WorkTech! When AI Systems, Startups, and Public Policies Collide

    In this "high velocity" edition of Up Next @ WorkTech, Kate Achille from The Devon Group and George LaRocque of WorkTech break down the critical intersection of legal friction, evolving corporate staffing strategies, multi-million-dollar government tech overhauls, and the sweeping shifts rewriting the rules of HR management.

    Episode highlights include:

    • The IBM lawsuit: Age discrimination meets automated rejection
    • People as product: The fractionalization debate at NY Tech Week
    • Monopolizing federal HR tech: Oracle's massive OPM contract win
    • The Department of Education's wage accountability crackdown (hear Kate misread Title IV as Title IX, oops)
    • How to stand out when applying for a job at Anthropic
      • 37 min
    • Up Next @ WorkTech: Reading the Room on AI During Grad Season

      Welcome to another packed episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, the crossover podcast featuring George LaRocque and Kate Achille.

      In this edition, George and Kate break down the rapidly shifting intersections of AI and the technological developments redefining the modern workplace.

      • The Gen Z Dilemma: The hosts dissect a recent viral commencement speech where graduates booed a corporate narrative praising AI and billionaires.

      • Forced Tech Adaptations: AI is reshaping academia. Princeton University has phased out its 133-year-old unproctored honor code to combat AI cheating, while a massive Instructure Canvas outage recently derailed finals week at Rutgers and other schools.

      • The Benefits Scale-Back: Major employers like Zoom and Deloitte are cutting 401(k) matches and parental leave. Kate and George consider how leveraging the current employer market power to slash benefits risks cultural backlash when the talent market swings back.

      • The Solopreneur Illusion: Reviewing the new Workday, Anthropic, and LISC accelerator, Kate and George argue that giving 15 solopreneurs just $10,000 and limited Claude AI credits is more of a corporate goodwill exercise than a structural business accelerator.

      • Big Tech Infiltrates HCM: Intuit is making an aggressive move into the SMB payroll and HCM space with QuickBooks Workforce, posing a direct threat to legacy players like ADP and Paylocity. Meanwhile, AWS is entering high-volume recruiting with an agentic platform, though George warns they may underestimate the complex 12-to-18-month enterprise sales cycle.

      • M&A and Funding Wins: Following key acquisitions by Greenhouse and Ashby, asynchronous Voice AI is overcoming historical candidate pushback to become a core recruiting interface. Finally, the hosts celebrate Kashable’s $60 million Series C round as a massive win for employee financial wellness.

        45 min
      • Up Next @ WorkTech! Returns to Take a Look Beyond the AI Smokescreen

        Kate Achille and George LaRocque are back after taking time off for travel and industry events, ready to dissect the complex, often contradictory state of the modern workplace. This latest episode of Up Next @ Work Tech dives into April's "layoff season," considering the different strategies companies are taking; the rise of token maxing and AI leaderboards; the potential impact of recent changes at DOL; and an exclusive breakdown of the Q1 WorkTech funding and M&A report.


        Episode highlights include:

        • Recent observations at industry events
        • The "AI of it all" amid more tech layoffs
        • George's "Market Squeeze" model
        • Considerations for the balance of the year
          • 45 min
        • Up Next @ WorkTech! Lawsuits, Layoffs, and the AI Panic Button

          In the latest episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, Katie Achille and George LaRocque navigate another packed week of industry turbulence, from Workday's ongoing age-discrimination lawsuit to Senator Hassan's public rebuke of data-broker practices reaching HR Tech.

          Episode highlights include:

          • Meta's recent acquisition spree, followed by rumors of major layoffs
          • New research from Brookings forecasts profound AI disruption, with a recommendation of how to adjust the path forward
          • The potential for 30 percent unemployment for new grads entering the job market
          • What corporate jargon really signifies, according to a study out of Cornell
          • One of the biggest TA tech funding rounds in recent memory - Series B secured by the folks at Juicebox
            • 33 min
          • Up Next @ WorkTech! Reverse Recruiting, Security Risks, and the Rise of "AI Native" Everything

            In the latest episode of Up Next @ WorkTech, Katie Achille and George LaRocque dive into the latest updates impacting the world of work, from companies like Accenture tying promotions to AI usage and Burger King's voice agent Patty tracking upsells and friendliness scores to the security risks of OpenClaw and the soon-to-be omnipresence of the AI native everything.

            Episode highlights include:

            • AI‑driven performance management enters the chat, or in some industries, the headset.
            • Agentic security risks escalate with the introduction and rapid adoption of OpenClaw.
            • Reverse recruiting surges, revealing predatory practices in a down market.
            • HR tech funding continues to accelerate with new capital flowing into a variety of solutions and regions.
              • 48 min
            • Up Next @ WorkTech! Turbulence, Shakeups, Hype, and the Future of HR Tech

              Katie Achille and George LaRocque are back with a fast-moving breakdown of the changes over at Workday, the hype and hazards of vibe coding as it relates to the software market at large, findings from the latest Corporate Equality Index, and more.

              Episode highlights include:

              • Does Workday’s CEO transition signal deeper strategic and market pressures?
              • Vibe coding might be accelerating, but remains risky, lacking compliance, scalability and security
              • AI adoption is shifting from “build” to “buy,” with enterprises rapidly increasing investment
              • HR’s role is transforming (again!), requiring new skills to manage AI agents, automated workflows and hybrid human‑machine teams
              • Early‑stage HR Tech funding remains active, while mid‑stage companies face pressure
                • 45 min
              • Up Next @ Work Meets HR & Payroll 2.0

                In this crossover episode, Katie Achille sits down with Pete A. Tiliakos and Julie Fernandez, hosts of the popular podcast, HR & Payroll 2.0, to discuss where public relations stands in 2026 in the HR tech space. During their rapid-fire conversation, Katie, Pete, and Julie cover everything from the value of the industry analysts to the ongoing emergence of AEO and GEO.


                Episode highlights include:

                • The trouble with the term "public relations" nowadays
                • The AI of it all and what that means to vendors versus practitioners
                • The importance of nailing your message right in a crowded market
                • How brand awareness infiltrates the psyche, even without a mention in WSJ

                  • For more from Katie, you can connect with her on LinkedIn or subscribe to her newsletter, The How, over on Substack. And of course, don't forget to listen to HR & Payroll 2.0 and follow Pete and Julie.

                  48 min
                • Up Next @ WorkTech! AI on Trial, Labor Power, and HR Tech’s Reckoning

                  2026 kicks off with a jolt as Katie Achille and George LaRocque unpack a wave of developments reshaping HR tech. They dive into the new class action lawsuit against Eightfold, exploring what it signals to the market, around AI transparency, vendor accountability, and compliance.

                  The conversation widens to worker power, including Microsoft's landmark agreement with Australian labor unions, and the heated rhetoric coming out of Davos about AI's impact on jobs. Katie and George also consider Apple and Google's latest partnership and the first acquisitions of the year.

                  35 min
                • Up Next @ Work, Episode 31 with Robert Mattson of Intrigue Communications and Coaching

                  As we start the New Year, Jeanne Achille welcomes guest Robert Mattson of Intrigue Communications and Coaching to Up Next @ Work. Mattson helps us understand the importance of storytelling on a corporate level, leaning into the tried-and-true three-act structure: the introduction, the conflict, and persuasive conclusion. He discusses the curse of knowledge and why storytelling from the inside out doesn’t produce optimal results.

                  Robert also gives us some gems from his workshops that can help all of us create the emotional connections with our target audiences through better storytelling. Bonus feature: We discuss favorite movies – the ultimate expression of storytelling – and why AI only makes you sound like everyone else.

                  Learn more about Robert's work and follow him on LinkedIn.

                  35 min
                • Up Next @ Work, Episode 30 with Tracee Bowles, Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group

                  In this episode of Up Next @ Work, Jeanne Achille speaks with Tracee Bowles, CPP, SHRM-SCP, Global Payroll & Workforce Management Advisory Practice Leader at The Hackett Group (R). Tracee’s expertise in payroll is unprecedented – whether discussing geo-fencing, mobile-based workforces, job costing in the construction industry or certified payrolls – she understands what’s complicating the inherent complexities of payroll and how to sort through them. Her career started as a practitioner, leading a team of 30 HR, payroll admin and ops, UE, IT, recordkeeping and reception professionals across 10 locations. With that

                  strong foundation in place, she took her knowledge of how to streamline this business-critical function from lots of moving parts across shared services, PEO, direct, and partnership models. Oh, and did we mention she is also a tax and wage garnishment expert? Take a listen and learn about one of the toughest challenges faced by employers: paying their workforces accurately and on time.

                  Learn more about Tracee's work at The Hackett Group and connect with her on LinkedIn.

                  27 min

                About Up Next @ Work

                From the publisher's feed

                When every day feels like a new adventure, Up Next @ Work delivers the insight and intelligence you need to succeed. Join HR influencers, Jeanne Achille and Katie Achille of The Devon Group, who…