HR Works: The Podcast for Human Resources

In this week’s podcast episode, Erika Randall, Content Director for HR Daily Advisor, talks with Nicholas Lawrence (Nicholas L.), Executive Director of People & Culture at Chick-fil-A Restaurants (local franchise – Indianapolis), and speaker at SPARK HR 2026. Lawrence shares from his personal journey on how to be an organizational culture architect and how to make your organization a gold standard of service.

You'll get a firsthand look at the themes he’ll be diving into during his SPARK HR session, and a sneak preview into the secrets behind Chick-fil-A’s conviction-driven leadership. Whether you're deep into engagement and experience or just getting started, this is your chance to hear from one of the field’s most thoughtful leaders—and get inspired before the big event April 28–30. Check out the full episode below!

The great tech shift has been slowly approaching since the internet’s invention, and with the advent of AI, the workplace as we know it is already in the past. So, how can HR shepherd the next generation of workers into this new business world?

Thanks to Chelsea MacMullen, Org Change Management lead for Meta, we have an idea on how the world’s biggest name in tech is transitioning and training their employees for the future. On this week’s episode of the HR Works Podcast, we sat down with MacMullen ahead of her presentation at SPARK HR 2026 to get a sneak peek at the need-to-know advice she’ll be giving to HR professionals for the future of tech. Check out the full episode below!

As the Director of Talent Development at LinkedIn, Dr. Chrissy Roth-Francis currently oversees the growth of 3,000 leaders. She is at the forefront of a major cultural shift: the “Human Plus” future.

Ahead of her sessions at SPARK HR 2026, HR Daily Advisor sat down with Dr. Roth-Francis to discuss how HR professionals and people leaders can navigate the rapid adoption of AI in HR while keeping human connection at the core. Check out our latest episode of the HR Works Podcast to hear exactly how Roth-Francis is reshaping the world of HR!

What do NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Disney, and Nordstrom have in common? They’ve all turned to Betsy Lopez-Riley to navigate their biggest moments of reinvention. A senior transformation leader with over 20 years of experience, Lopez-Riley knows that big ideas only work when they work for the people executing them.

Ahead of her sessions at SPARK HR 2026, HR Daily Advisor sat down with Lopez-Riley to discuss why traditional HR strategies often fail and how to bridge the gap between corporate vision and everyday execution. Check out the latest episode of the HR Works Podcast for the full discussion!

The world seems to be changing at a faster rate every single day, and employees taking the brunt of the change, and fearing for the future. Job loss is rampant, economic uncertainty looms around every corner, and no one truly knows if their same job will be around tomorrow. So, how do leaders guide their teams through such tumultuous times?

According to Adam Hickman, Ph.D., VP of Org & Employee Dev, Partners; The Walt Disney Company, it's a tale as old as time. That is to say, leaders looking to the past, and focusing on the most human aspects of work, are going to find themselves best prepared for the future. In part two of our conversation, Hickman previews his presentation at SPARK HR 2026, where he'll be teaching HR professionals how to reimagine employee support and connection in the era of AI.