Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

The rapid transformation of work, driven by technological acceleration and evolving business needs, is leaving organizations scrambling to keep their employees future ready. ServiceNow’s Chief Learning Officer Jayney joins me to share her thoughts on how organizations can move beyond traditional skilling to focus on comprehensive readiness, including the unique human abilities that set people apart from machines. Jayney discusses ServiceNow’s model of a "talent signature"—a multidimensional skill profile that brings together AI fluency, functional expertise, and the elusive but critical human advantage. You'll hear how ServiceNow is transforming learning into a personalized, playful, and data-driven experience, why curiosity can’t be taught but can be learned, and how measuring what makes us uniquely human is key.  

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03:46 Measuring uniquely human skills
13:08 Assessing employee skill readiness
15:03 Emerging AI skills and demand
18:56 Creating conditions for curiosity
27:26 Workforce readiness and skills gap
32:32 Focus on customer-centric strategy
35:43 Debating centralized vs. federated learning
37:33 Introducing SimStudio for training
47:04 Creating a unique learning environment
48:12 Solving the learning experience puzzle
56:09 How the Lead Boldly model works

The Shift from Skilling to Workforce Readiness

Workforce readiness has become the new clarion call for organizations. Between 30 and 100% of skills are going to change in the workforce over the next 3 years. This volatility demands a seismic shift in how we think about people development: not as one-off, reactive upskilling, but as continuous preparation for evolving roles and technologies.
At ServiceNow, readiness means aligning workforce capabilities with both current role requirements and the unpredictable demands of tomorrow’s jobs. Readiness isn’t about checking boxes on completed learning modules—it’s about ensuring employees can confidently perform in their roles now and adapt to what’s next.

Rethinking Skills: The Talent Signature Model

Central to ServiceNow’s approach is the concept of the “talent signature”—a model that assesses employees across three dimensions:
AI Fluency: The understanding and leverage of AI, scaled according to job requirements.
Functional Skills: Core competencies needed for specific roles (e.g., technical, sales, marketing).
Human Skills: The human advantage—skills that remain when AI takes over routine work, such as critical thinking, judgment, curiosity, courage, and interpersonal connection.

This framework recognizes that the interplay between these domains is dynamic and context-dependent. An AI skill alone, without a human skill, is actually a skill that AI could do on its own. The difference is the foundational human layer. The model leverages nearly 200 signals—from learning completions and assessments to project work and interpersonal feedback—to generate a unique skill profile for each employee. This data-rich fingerprint enables more precise, personalized development paths and better workforce planning.

Can Curiosity Be Learned?

We discuss whether qualities like curiosity and courage are innate or can be developed. While training modules for curiosity might fall short, Jayney’s perspective is that these attributes can’t be taught, but they can be learned. The distinction matters: it's about creating the right conditions for growth rather than direct instruction. By fostering environments where it’s safe to experiment and fail, organizations can unlock these human traits. 

The Power of Safe Experimentation

To build a culture of learning, ServiceNow draws on the “science of play.” Drawing inspiration from educational theorists like Johan Huizinga, Jayney advocates for “magic circles”—playgrounds within the organization where different rules apply, and the risk of failure is reduced. In these environments, employees are more willing to try, iterate, and improve.
The shift from passive consumption (read-and-test courses) to hands-on, playful approaches is evidenced in their adoption of AI-driven roleplay. Strikingly, 93% of participants returned to repeat these immersive simulations, a testament to the draw and efficacy of playful, experiential learning.

Leading Boldly in Times of Uncertainty

In a climate of rampant change and declining organizational trust, leadership takes center stage. ServiceNow’s “Lead Boldly” model encourages leaders to trust boldly, communicate clearly (even without certainty), and champion change—a people-centered approach that recognizes leaders as the primary catalysts for psychological safety, resilience, and adaptive learning.

 Resources & People Mentioned
Bill McDermott CEO of ServiceNow
Rachel Botsman on LinkedIn
Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in Culture
LOL- Learning out Loud!
Jayney Howson on Substack  

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Jayney Howson - Chief Learning Officer @ ServiceNow | Global Workforce Skills & Talent Readiness 
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When we think about culture, compensation is rarely at the heart of the conversation. But how organizations approach pay, structure, transparency, and performance ties speaks volumes about their values and priorities. We sit down with Colleen McCreary, former Chief People Officer at Credit Karma, to explore the intricacies of compensation as a strategic organizational system. 

Colleen shares how a convoluted pay structure led to a complete overhaul at Credit Karma, resulting in a transparent, role-based compensation system focused on fairness and impact. We discuss pay transparency, the difference between impact and performance, eliminating performance ratings, and introducing a living wage initiative that aligned pay practices with organizational values.

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[01:25] Transparent processes for compensation decisions 
[06:01] Alignment of compensation practices with company mission of financial wellness 
[10:41] Discussing compensation systems
[20:11] Designing the employee compensation structure
[30:46] Restructuring team roles and pay
[33:19] Addressing pay equity issues
[53:10] Developing a promotion budget model
[56:14] Managing underperformers and their compensation

Building the Relationship

Pay is central to the employment relationship, the systems around it are often opaque, and inconsistent—and that breeds confusion and erodes trust. Many leaders default to inherited systems or fail to connect the dots between compensation and the broader organizational culture. This neglect carries hidden costs of noisy complaints, employee disengagement, unhealthy attrition, and management headaches. 

Redefining Pay Transparency

Traditionally, pay transparency means posting salary ranges or employee pay for all to see. Credit Karma’s approach went much further. In their context, transparency meant everyone understood how compensation worked: how often it was evaluated, by what benchmark, and through what decision-making process. It wasn’t about broadcasting individual pay; it was about demystifying systems, leveling the informational playing field, and removing the perception of favoritism or randomness.

When Credit Karma rolled out its new compensation structure, employee perceptions of fairness soared. Surveys found over 90% of respondents felt their pay was fair, even if it wasn’t always exactly what they wanted, compared to a baseline closer to 50%.

Leveling the Playing Field

Credit Karma moved to a role-based pay system: everyone in the same role, at the same location, received the same compensation—no negotiations or special deals. Annual and merit bonuses were rolled into base salaries, and instead of annual performance increases, pay adjustments were driven by market comparisons at regular intervals.

This meant that newly hired employees could no longer leapfrog existing ones in pay, removing a frequent source of managerial angst and employee resentment. Managers were freed from salary negotiations and instead spent energy on developing talent, while systemic reviews twice a year ensured pay stayed competitive without employees having to ask.

Decoupling Compensation from Performance Ratings

An innovative move was uncoupling compensation from traditional performance ratings. By eliminating ratings, Credit Karma relied on promotions and defined job architecture to help employees progress, using clear criteria for advancement. To recognize outstanding contributions, they created an Exceptional Impact Program (EIP), using stock grants to reward employee impact rather than routine high performance.

Acceptance rates in recruiting increased, and attrition rates fell during tumultuous periods in both the company and the wider world. The new system also built organizational trust, employees no longer questioned whether newcomers or others were being paid unfairly; they could focus on their roles and development, knowing the system was both transparent and fair.

 Resources & People Mentioned

Credit Karma
Confluent
Intuit
Culture Amp
Radford McLagan Compensation Database 
Salesforce
Living Wage Calculator 
Colleen Wheeler McCreary on Medium 

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Colleen McCreary on LinkedIn 

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In this episode, I welcome Tracie Cantu, Chief Learning Strategist and author of Running L&D Like a Business. We discuss the operational challenges facing today’s L&D teams, the critical distinction between workflows and processes, and the dangers of succumbing to “shiny object syndrome” in the era of AI. From the looming risk of a mid-level talent gap to predictions about the future of L&D itself, our conversation offers practical frameworks, strategic advice, and a glimpse into what it will take for learning leaders to thrive in an uncertain future.  

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06:39 Optimizing learning function operations
08:14 Defining workflows vs processes
16:33 Evaluating investment value in L&D
18:35 Using the ‘5 Whys’ method
24:29 Discussing the problem-solving mindset
30:09 Training models and workforce readiness
36:45 AI in talent acquisition and L&D challenges
43:09 Expectations and projections for L&D's future

The Power of Process Over Workflow

Traditionally, L&D departments have been highly reactive—responding to requests, putting out fires, and churning out solutions, often without a clear line of sight to business goals. Tracy sees L&D as an optimizer of systems more than anything.

She distinguishes between workflows—a series of tasks, often repeated for each new problem—and processes, which are more strategic, goal-oriented, and repeatable across scenarios. Many L&D teams are stuck in workflow mode, leading to reinventing the wheel rather than building scalable, impactful models. Processes enable organizations to rise above reactive task management, free up resources for strategic initiatives, and lay the groundwork for measuring real business value.

People, Processes, and Technology

Tracie’s operating model blueprint has three pillars—people, process, and technology:
People: Are the right skills in the right roles? Or are teams over-indexed in content production but lacking capabilities in data and strategy?
Process: Are you operating by checklists or by cohesive, strategy-backed processes that align to business goals?
Technology: Do your tools work together as an ecosystem, or are they siloed, duplicating effort and data?

L&D teams often falter at the process stage where prioritization, governance, and strategic trade-offs live. Without this backbone, even the shiniest technology will fail to deliver.

Why AI Isn’t a Silver Bullet

Too often, L&D falls prey to “shiny object syndrome”—embracing new technologies before understanding whether they solve any actual problem. Tracie shares the story of a company that spent half a million dollars on VR headsets for employee training, only to realize that what the team needed was human interaction and real feedback, not another gadget. Lots of organizations see AI as a means to crank out content faster, rather than as a tool to fundamentally rethink how we solve business challenges. For AI or any new tech to really be transformative in L&D, the back end—data, processes, and governance—needs to be tight. Otherwise, as Tracie says, “garbage in, garbage out, only louder with AI.”

The Future of L&D

Tracie shares why she thinks L&D may be split into a production-focused function in the future, essentially an in-house content shop, and a more strategic workforce enablement team, possibly absorbed into talent or HR. The risk is that as organizations cut costs and chase efficiency, they neglect long-term skills development, creating a skills dearth by 2032.

Who will be responsible for upskilling and reskilling when L&D is gone? If L&D disappears, the job may fall to talent acquisition or management, but neither is equipped to oversee ongoing learning at scale. L&D professionals who embrace business partnership, systems thinking, and continuous reinvention can still carve out vital space within organizations. The path forward requires tough choices—rethinking team structure, adopting true process discipline, and resisting the allure of fast fixes. 

 Resources & People Mentioned
Running L&D Like a Business 
Shock of the New: The Challenge and Promise of Emerging Technology by Chad Udell and Gary Woodill  
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein 
Rep. Liccardo Introduces SKILL Act to Prepare Workers for AI-Driven Job Market Shifts
Connect Education To Jobs And Create An AI Workforce Transition Plan
MEEK - Fabulous (Official Video) 

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Tracie Cantu
Tracie M. Cantu on LinkedIn 

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This week on the podcast, we welcome Jennifer McCollum, President and CEO of Catalyst and author of the new book Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership. Jennifer shares her perspective on whether true gender equity in the workplace can be achieved without fully engaging men in the solution. We dig into the data showing that modern workplaces are failing not just women, but men as well—fueling rigid expectations and limiting everyone’s potential. We discuss Catalyst’s new earned universalism framework in response to legal and societal shifts, and discuss practical strategies HR and talent leaders can use to advance inclusion, even as DEIB functions are restructured or absorbed into other parts of the business. 

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[00:00] Discussing gender equity strategies
[07:09] Catalyst's workplace research and commitment
[12:52] Work-life stress and gender expectations
[16:50] Evaluating post-E.O. impact study
[18:23] Balancing inclusion and flexibility
[20:54] Focus shift from metrics to fairness
[26:27] Promoting equal parental leave
[33:28] Leadership and cultural transformation
[39:48] Changing organizational culture for managers

A Universal Approach to Inclusion Can Transform Work for Everyone

For decades, the chief narrative was that workplaces weren’t built to support women. But Catalyst’s research is now surfacing a broader truth: many modern work environments also fall short for men. Data from their studies reveal that 82% of men feel immense pressure to conform to traditional “man box” stereotypes—such as competitiveness and emotional restraint—while 87% long for more freedom to express traits like empathy and kindness. Crucially, this “man box” doesn’t just restrict individual men. Because men still comprise much of senior leadership, these norms perpetuate rigid, stifling workplace cultures that limit everyone.

Introducing Earned Universalism: Catalyst’s New Inclusion Framework

Faced with mounting political and legal pressures—such as recent executive orders impacting DEI practices—many organizations are anxious about how to maintain progress without running afoul of the law. In response, Catalyst, in partnership with NYU’s Meltzer Center, introduced the concept of earned universalism.

This framework acknowledges the paradox between the desire for inclusion that serves everyone and the need to support those long disadvantaged by systemic barriers. The idea is not to abandon equity, but to earn the right to universal policies by first removing specific barriers holding marginalized groups back. 

Practical Steps for HR Leaders

With DEI departments being restructured and relabeled in many organizations, HR leaders face unique challenges. The key is to integrate partnership skills—such as curiosity, courage, accountability, and allyship—into broader talent, culture, and leadership development programs.

Jennifer outlines a 5B framework for building gender partnership:

Begin with You: Start with self-reflection and awareness
Break Down What’s Not Working: Address both individual and systemic obstacles
Build Up What’s In It for Men: Explicitly communicate how everyone gains from equity
Bridge the Gender Gap: Model and drive behaviors that close divides at all levels
Bring Humanity to Work: Foster real human connection and openness.

Workplace equity isn’t about ceding ground or ticking boxes; it’s about pushing past old dichotomies and building cultures where all people belong and can contribute fully. 

 Resources & People Mentioned

Men at Work: The Roadmap to Gender Partnership by Jennifer McCollum 
Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg
In Her Own Voice: A Woman's Rise to CEO by Jennifer McCollum
McKinsey's Women in the Workplace report
Risks of retreat: The path forward | Catalyst 

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Jennifer McCollum on LinkedIn

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Leadership is often the deciding factor in whether organizations thrive or falter, but the way we lead matters even more. In the latest episode of Workplace Stories, Dr. Benjamin Granger, Chief Workplace Psychologist at Qualtrics and author of A Leader Worth Following, explores why so many organizations still default to dominance-based leadership, and what it means to build cultures that reward prestige-based approaches instead. Blending insights from evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and years of workplace research, Ben shares his thoughts on how leadership styles shape employee experience and business success. 

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

00:00 Discussing Leadership Challenges and Trust
06:21 Understanding organizational psychology
07:30 Balancing theory and practical application
14:50 Playing the power politics game
20:00 Discussing organizational power shifts
22:36 Operating under dominant leaders
35:12 Handling Uncertainty as a Leader
37:46 Influence of environment on behavior
40:58 The impact of physical environment
50:44 Focusing on honest feedback

The Evolutionary Roots of Leadership

Most social animals, including humans, establish hierarchies where certain individuals rise to the top. In non-human species, this rise is usually based on dominance: the biggest, strongest, or most aggressive become the alphas by imposing their will on others. Humans, however, have developed an alternative: prestige. Prestige-based leaders earn followership by demonstrating genuine competence and contributing to the group's well-being, prompting others to follow willingly rather than out of fear or obligation.

Prestige is one of the things that makes us the most evolutionarily distinct. But despite its clear advantages, modern organizations too often favor dominance. Dominance works in the short term, it gets quick results, especially in high-pressure situations, but, like alphas in the animal kingdom, it’s always temporary and can be overturned by newer, stronger rivals.

Why Organizations Default to Dominance

Despite prestige-based leadership delivering better outcomes, structural pressures and cultural inertia mean that organizations still often rely on dominance. Environments that obsess over immediate results—hitting quarterly numbers, quick responses to crises—inevitably reward those who can “get it done now,” even if it means sidelining empathy, trust-building, or transparency.

Organizations often pay lip service to soft skills, layering emotional intelligence and empathy expectations over systems fundamentally designed for command-and-control. This is backward, though, every organization exists to meet the needs of other people, and if it doesn't do that, it doesn't exist. 

Building Prestige-Based Cultures

Changing leadership norms starts with both organizational systems and individual behaviors. 

Audit Your Core Values: Are they truly reflected in observable behaviors and environmental cues—from glass doors symbolizing transparency to real open Q&As in all-hands meetings? 
Measure What Matters: Don’t just reward outcomes; examine how results were achieved, looking for consistency with your stated values.
Foster High-Fidelity Communication: In an age of automation and AI, preserve spaces for genuine human dialogue to counteract the erosion of trust and connection.
Invest in Leadership Skills: Require training in rhetoric, body language, and executive presence for all leaders—not to polish surface impressions, but to deepen real influence and trust.

The Future of Leadership in an AI World

AI and automation are accelerating every aspect of business, but they also risk stripping away the very things that make organizations human. Rigid digital systems (like micromanaged expense policies) can signal distrust as surely as an angry boss. If organizations lean too heavily on these tools, they may unwittingly degrade the high-trust, collaborative communication on which true prestige-based leadership is built.
As Benjamin says, “Mankind's greatest achievements have come about by talking, its greatest failures by not talking. All we need to do is make sure we keep talking”. Leadership for the future is about mastery of self and service to others, pulling people forward by example, not pushing them down by force. 

 Resources & People Mentioned

Dr. Steve Hunt 
Josh Bersin 
Edgar Schein
Stephen Hawking 
A Leader Worth Following: How to Master Yourself, Influence Others, and Create Exceptional Experiences by Benjamin Granger
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust 

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Benjamin Granger on LinkedIn 

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