The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR

• Build - “AI Abstinence” & Why Your HR Team Needs an AI Fair Use Policy

  Jessica Zwaan, Author of Built for People & COO at Talentful, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We talked about AI adoption in HR, from policy design to hands-on building. We explored the “Wild West” of AI use, tool selection, overcoming the stigma of ‘cheating,’ and practical frameworks like the 4Bs (Bot, Build, Borrow, Buy) to guide adoption and innovation.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗 Sign up for the MPL Insider Guide for HR Tech.🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:07) Kicking off the AI Wild West discussion in HR(09:10) “AI abstinence” vs. open use – two ends of the spectrum(12:00) No new ideas – why blocking AI is like banning books(17:05) Stigma around AI use and feelings of ‘cheating’(20:18) AI as an Iron Man suit, not Ultron – decision-making analogy(22:29) Org-wide vs. departmental AI policies(24:20) Jessica’s HR AI stack: Sana, ODA, BrightHire, ChatGPT(26:11) Why GPT was chosen over other LLMs(29:37) Functional flexibility in AI tool adoption(31:58) Privacy, disclosure, and “don’t be dumb” rules(33:15) The 4Bs framework – Bot, Build, Borrow, Buy(36:51) Different levels of “build” – from zaps to full applications(41:59) Why not to fear losing custom AI knowledge when employees leave(46:43) Borrowing vs. buying – making smart investment decisions(48:41) Avoiding “hire first” thinking – the Mythical Man Month(53:28) How to start: planning, tool exploration, and playful learning(56:05) Voice note + walk workflow for AI productivity---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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• 253 - The AI Vendor Checklist Every HR Leader Needs: Pilar Muner (VP of People & Talent, ChartHop)

  Pilar Muner, VP of People & Talent at ChartHop, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We covered:- Why fractional work isn’t always the burnout cure-all it’s made out to be-How ChartHop is using AI to power HR workflows in-house- The AI vendor checklist every HR leader needs — what to ask, what to watch for, and how to cut through the hypeIf you’re evaluating AI tools for your people team, this episode will give you a practical lens on security, data integrity, and what to prioritize in vendor selection.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (10:56) Pilar’s Journey: From law aspirations to falling into HR(13:07) Career Philosophy: “Just say yes” and the path through early-stage companies(15:07) Why Pilar Went Fractional: A health-focused shift, not burnout(17:18) Accidental Fractional Life: A few lucky client handoffs snowball(18:46) Is Fractional Less Stressful? The importance of boundaries(20:45) HR for HR: Why burnout doesn’t disappear without behavior change(23:39) Boundary setting and designing your own career(25:09) ChartHop Time: The magic of internal and external facing people ops(26:37) Product Deep Dive: ChartHop’s back-end data architecture explained(28:36) Why ChartHop is Built for AI from the Ground Up(30:30) Empathy in HR Tech: ChartHop’s internal culture surprises(32:27) ChartHop for Builders: Why it clicks for HR innovators(35:42) Pilar’s AI Takeaways: Sophisticated people analytics—even at 25 people(37:22) AI + HR Data: Beyond dashboards into contextual intelligence(39:30) The Risks of Uploading Data to Public LLMs(41:47) What ChartHop Does to Keep Client Data Secure(44:51) Questions HR Leaders Should Ask AI Vendors(47:21) Is HR Ready for AI? Why sitting on the sidelines isn’t safe(49:08) Use Case Example: AI-powered performance review feedback(51:09) Human Judgment Still Required: Don’t rely solely on AI(52:52) The Importance of Judicious AI Prompts in HR(53:19) ChartHop’s View on AI Front Doors & Model Context Protocols(55:37) Internal Testing: ChartHop dogfoods its own platform with Salesforce, NetSuite, and Gong(58:38) Favorite Use Case: Performance reviews written with AI accuracy(01:02:21) Engagement Survey in 3 Hours Instead of 50(01:04:46) ChartHop Use Cases: The AI-powered HRBP assistant(01:07:09) Treating AI like your own HRBP: Macro-level strategy(01:11:38) GenAI as HR for HR: Scenario planning and internal insights(01:15:04) Weekly Check-Ins: AI helps prioritize which employees need attention(01:16:13) Rapid Fire: Pilar’s one big takeaway—just try(01:18:22) Superpower Nickname: The Force or The Inspirer(01:20:12) Strategy to Steal: Zapier’s AI-first approach(01:21:54) Shoutouts: 5 emerging HR leaders you should know---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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• 252 - What HR can do about revenue problems & flipping the HR pyramid: JooBee Yeow (Learngility)

  JooBee Yeow joined us on The Modern People Leader to talk about why HR must stop overfunctioning and start diagnosing real business problems—especially when revenue is on the line. We discussed how HR leaders can step out of their silo, challenge assumptions, influence revenue growth, and flip the HR pyramid to prioritize high-impact, strategic work.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (06:23) JooBee’s Career Journey: From Systems Engineer to Strategic HR Leader(08:34) What JooBee Learned from Partnering with CTOs over CHROs(11:48) Stephen’s Experience Managing Engineers as a CEO(14:07) Preferential Treatment or Strategic Blindspots in Tech-Heavy Teams(18:08) What JooBee Is Building: Bootcamp, Community, and Mini MBA(24:31) Why HR Gets Stuck at 50 Employees: Common Traps at Growth Stage(29:33) Same Problems, New Labels: From Headcount to AI Adoption(30:33) The Two Questions Every People Leader Must Ask(32:25) Strategic Planning ≠ Strategic Thinking: Escaping Operational Loops(34:26) The HR Hierarchy of Needs & Flipping the Pyramid(44:46) Stop Playing Admin: Behaviors That Keep HR Operational(47:29) Writing in Anger: The Story Behind JooBee’s “Drive Revenue” Newsletter(50:57) What to Do When You Won’t Hit Revenue Targets This Quarter(54:17) Where Is Revenue Leaking? 4 Common Scenarios(56:09) Don’t Start with “How”—Diagnose First(59:26) Tactical Advice: How to Be Curious and Find the Right People to Ask---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more

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• 251 - The CHRO’s Toughest Chapter Yet & What HR Brings to the Boardroom: Tiffany Stevenson (Former CPO @ WeightWatchers & Patreon)

  Tiffany Stevenson, former Chief People Officer at WeightWatchers and Patreon, joined us on The Modern People Leader. We talked about this being the CHROs toughest chapter yet, how AI is reshaping HR, and what HR brings to the boardroom.---- Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of ChartHop.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (09:35) Tiffany’s career story: From Mirage Resorts to Sephora, Box, Patreon, WW(14:34) First career break & adjusting to downtime(16:59) Learning phase: Board readiness program & executive compensation course(19:01) Why being a CHRO is harder now than during the pandemic(23:49) Reframing today’s challenges as opportunities(25:11) Stephen’s thoughts on AI transformation as a once-in-a-generation shift(28:51) Finding focus amid economic, policy, and AI noise(31:36) Tiffany’s current purpose: Leading people through transformations(33:19) Defining individual purpose & aligning with business transformation(35:21) Why she chose to invest in human-centered board skills(37:48) What board service training looks like(39:34) Realizing CHROs often undersell their impact to boards(42:46) How to position yourself for board service(46:20) Typical board makeup & where CHRO expertise fits(49:21) Misconceptions about board work & time commitment---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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• 250 - In the age of AI, managers are still the glue: Priscila Bala (CEO, LifeLabs Learning)

  Priscila Bala, CEO of LifeLabs Learning, joined us on The Modern People Leader.We explored how AI is transforming learning, the enduring role of middle management, and why the most impactful leadership skills are more human than ever.---- Resources Mentioned:🔗 Sign up for LifeLabs Learning’s Culture Club.Sponsor Links:🔗 Request a demo of Workleap.MPL Links:🔗 Buy your ticket for MPL Live New York.🔗 Go sign up for MPL Build.---- (07:25) Priscila’s Career Journey: From VC to CEO of LifeLabs(10:57) What LifeLabs Learning Does and Their Training Philosophy(13:10) Segue to AI: “Artificial Interns” and the Human Advantage(17:42) The Emotional Edge of In-Person Learning & Why AI Can’t Replicate That(21:52) Vibe Coding, Demo Days, and the Role of Human Feedback(24:34) What AI Can’t Replace: Judgment, Context & Culture(26:31) Why Priscila is Giddy About AI’s Impact on Human Skills(29:07) DIY Learning Teams: Practical Tips & The Q-Step Tool(31:30) The Secret Sauce Behind LifeLabs’ Facilitators(35:05) Priscila’s Personal “Aha” Moments as a Former Client(37:21) Middle Management: From Crisis to AI-Era Relevance(43:25) The Real Pain for Managers Today: Overwhelm & Role Clarity(47:29) Will New Careers Move Away From Management?(49:56) Reskilling in the Age of AI: How Managers Can Navigate Change(54:22) Resources Mentioned: Culture Club & Train-the-Trainer Preview(55:47) Rapid Fire: HR Advice, Superpowers, and Dream Guest---- 📬 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get episode recaps💡 Follow The Modern People Leader on LinkedIn😊 Follow Daniel Huerta on LinkedIn😊 Follow Stephen Huerta on LinkedIn---- Past guests on MPL include Brené Brown, Annie Dean (VP of Team Anywhere, Atlassian), Josh Bersin, Katie Burke (Chief People Officer, Harvey), Liz Fosslien, Helen Russell (Chief People Officer, HubSpot), Dave Scott (Chief People Officer, ADT), Melanie Rossenwasser (Chief People Officer, Dropbox), Crystal Boysen (Chief People Officer, Sprout Social), and many more.

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