Perry Doody - How HR Teams Can Pivot From Being Tactical to Being Strategic

Amy Butchko is the Talent Acquisition Vice President at Maximus, where
she’s focused on helping organizations recruit IT talent at scale. Her
experience brings insights into both acquiring talent and communicating
talent acquisition data.
In this episode, Amy talks about the challenges surrounding talent
acquisition data and the steps you can take to solve them.

Chapters
[0:00 - 5:45] Introduction
• Welcome, Amy!
• Today’s Topic: 4 Steps to Better Enterprise Talent Acquisition
[5:46 - 12:16] What is the biggest challenge with talent acquisition today?
• Challenges with where are how quickly are you going to find your next
hire
• Solving the data problems within talent acquisition
[12:17 - 21:20] How do you develop talent acquisition acumen within HR
teams that yield desirable results?
• Identify the core requirements needed for candidates
• Considering skill level vs legacy requirements (e.g., degree requirements)
[21:21 - 29:07] How do you create a narrative around recruitment data?
• The narrative should be built around the circumstances and goals
surround recruitment
• Learn who you’re presenting to and how to best communicate the data to
them
[29:08 - 30:09] Closing
• Thanks for listening!
Quotes
“The thing that’s really important is finding people who can help bridge the
gap between all those seemingly irrelevant data points and turn them into
something that looks like an executive could understand it.”
“If you can home in on a couple of things that are really, strongly impacting
your business, measure them effectively, and tell a story consistently, [you
will be able to transfer data narratives]."

Contact:
Amy's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
Dwight's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Perry Doody is the owner of Above the Rings Consulting and Performance. After
over 10 years as the founding partner and president of CompTrak, Perry sought
to continue his career in consulting with a newfound approach that combines
insights from the worlds of business and fitness.

In this episode, Perry talks about how people are an important asset to
companies and why it’s critical for HR teams to be more strategic.

Chapters
[0:00 - 6:12] Introduction
• Welcome, Perry!
• Today’s Topic: How HR Teams Can Pivot From Being Tactical to Being
Strategic
[6:13 - 12:57] What differentiates a good HR department from a great HR
department?
• The CEO must recognize that HR is a critical component to the overall
business
• People need to focus on doing less and doing it well, instead of doing a lot of
things in a mediocre way
[12:58 - 17:07] Is busy work holding HR back from being more strategic?
• Adapting legacy systems to new needs can often be more difficult than building
new systems from scratch
• HR teams should add people from diverse backgrounds
[17:08 - 29:27] What enables a company to pivot from being tactical to being
more strategic?
• What is the CEO’s relationship with HR and its goals?
• How bad administrative decisions can antagonize HR strategies
[29:28 - 30:53] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“People are [a company’s] capital—they are an asset, and I don’t think every
company looks at it that way. The strategic ones do.”

“Becoming more strategic involves change, and a lot of us are resistant to
change, . . . but the way you get over this is by looking to competitors, other
industries, and even your personal life.”

Contact:
Perry's LinkedIn
David's LinkedIn
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Jason Averbook is a Senior Partner at Mercer and a global leader in HR
transformation. He has more than 25 years of experience in the HR and
technology industries, and he has guided industry-leading companies
through strategic HR transformations.
In this episode, Jason presents his takeaways from 2023 and talks about
how current HR trends will shape the future of the industry.

Chapters
[0:00 - 5:10] Introduction
• Welcome, Jason!
• Today’s Topic: Perspectives on HR and Emerging Technologies
[5:11 - 20:51] Jason’s takeaways from 2023
• 2023’s geopolitical events had significant mental health implications for
American workers
• Many organizations who have ignored their data are just now starting to
uncover its flaws
[20:52 - 29:20] Is 2024 the year of mass AI integration for HR?
• Generative AI will help us see where our data problems are, but we may
still need to solve the problems themselves
• Data fitness should be prioritized before a generative AI rollout
[29:21 - 35:20] How will emerging technologies affect HR one year from
now, in 2025?
• HR will be doing much less “hands work” and much more “heads work
and hearts work”
• Will HR roles be replaced by new technologies?
[35:21 - 36:24] Closing
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes
“AI has exposed the fact that organizations that don’t have good data can’t
use [tools like large language models].”
“The unlearning effort of 2024 to prepare for 2025 is more than the
technology effort—it’s more than the data effort.”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Summary:

As Season 6 of HR Data Labs comes to a close, David and Dwight take a look back at its episodes, guests, and key takeaways. They also revisit their predictions from last season and put forth some new predictions for the future of HR. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 5:51] Introduction

• Welcome, David and Dwight!
• Today’s Topic: Season 6 Recap

[5:52 - 15:26] Looking back at Season 6

• Revisiting episodes, topics, and common themes
• Key takeaways from Season 6

[15:27 - 24:30] Looking forward to Season 7

• Training, job searching, and other topics to look forward next season
• Continuing coverage of HR conferences

[24:31 - 36:30] David and Dwight’s predictions for the future of HR

• ESG and DEI will see a lot of pushback as they continues to grow
• AI’s time in the headlines will slow down its rollout in HR

[36:31 - 40:03] Final Thoughts & Closing

• Thanks for listening—we’ll be back soon with Season 7!

Quotes:

“My prediction is that we’re going to see a ton of upheaval in the ESG space as well as the DEI space [in the next six months].”

“Because of some of the court cases and backlash, . . . I think we’re going to start to see more clamping on what AI can do in the world of HR.”

Contact:
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Don Weinstein, most recently the former Chief Product and Technology Officer at ADP, has spent 35 years of his career working at Fortune 500 companies. With over half of those years being spent in HR roles, he’s acquired valuable knowledge about human capital management and HR data analytics. 

In this episode, Don talks about how some organizations have leveraged HR data to produce valuable business insights and what steps other organizations can take to get to that point. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 4:27] Introduction

• Welcome, Don!
• Today’s Topic: Using HR Data Analytics to Drive Business Insights

[4:28 - 14:53] How to turn HR data into business insights

• Data analytics is often under-utilized in human capital management
• Why payroll data is uniquely important

[14:54 - 22:32] Critical lessons from the early days of HR analytics

• The value of sharing data and insights with everyone in an organization (not just HR)
• How HR can “get a seat at the table” with data analytics

[22:33 - 30:31] How mature are HR data analytics and how will they further develop in the future?

• Why adoption of HR data analytics is still low despite increase awareness and interest
• The head of HR needs to be the steward for HR data analytics

[30:32 - 31:54] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“When [HR] has the facts, and the analytics, and the data, [they] can make a real impact in an organization.”

“Many organizations are still suffering from limited adoption [of HR data analytics] and one of the things that’s still hindering them is poor data quality.”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Karen Catlin is a 25-year veteran of the tech industry turned leadership coach, acclaimed author, and speaker on inclusive workplaces. She coaches women to be stronger leaders and men who want to be better allies for underrepresented groups. 

In this episode, Karen talks about the Better Allies approach and creating more inclusive workplaces with everyday acts of allyship. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 3:54] Introduction

• Welcome, Karen!
• Today’s Topic: Creating More Inclusive Workplaces with Everyday Acts of Allyship

[3:55 - 13:07] What gets in the way of people actually becoming more inclusive?

• Being a better ally means getting comfortable with making mistakes
• Why it’s important to learn how to properly apologize

[13:08 - 24:13] Tangible actions that can help you become a better workplace ally

• The 7 roles allies can play
• Example of being a sponsor, an amplifier, and an up-stander

[24:14 - 31:11] How allies can help course-correct larger systemic issues

• Being a knight vs being an ally and why they’re not the same thing
• Even if you’re not a leader, you can drive systemic changes at your company

[31:12 - 32:08] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“People don’t want to be better allies, or speak up, or do something because they are afraid of getting it wrong.”

“You can take action for one person, but then ask yourself if there’s something you can do to have a larger, systemic impact that really would be ideal for your organization.”

Resources:
Karen's Books

Contact:
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

The HR Technology Conference 2023 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in October 2023 and our very own David Turetsky and Katie Stukowski presented on the pay trends that will dominate 2024. 

In recent years, the landscape of pay practices has undergone significant transformations. From employee demands for greater pay transparency and equity, to the growing importance of accurate job descriptions and skills assessments, to the unpredictable twists of a volatile economy, HR teams are adapting at lightning speed. This session will review anticipated pay trends for 2024 and how employers can use data and technology to stay ahead of these developments.

In this episode, David and Katie talk about salary trends, pay equity trends, technology trends, and more. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 3:30] Introduction

• This episode was recorded live at the HR Technology Conference in October 2023!
• Today’s Topic: Pay Trends Dominating 2024

[3:31 - 18:32] Business and compensation trends

• How pay influences the psychology of how employees work
• Differentiating performance with low increase percentages

[18:33 - 38:54] Pay equity and the skills taxonomy

• Pay equity is not a “nice to have” anymore—it’s the rule
• Why job descriptions and career frameworks influence employee retention

[38:55 - 54:03] Competitive pay and market pricing

• The impact pay transparency can have on hiring and retention
• What to do about AI when it starts “working” for your company

[54:04 - 56:47] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“Compensation is the link between the employee and the employer to build the trust that they are valued within that organization, and you can’t get compensation right without accurate job descriptions.”

“Pay equity is the right thing to do. That’s equal pay for comparable work that is internally equitable, externally competitive, and transparently communicated.”

Resources:
Surveys

Contact:
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Katie's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Oshri Cohen is the founder of RedCorner, a CTO as a Service agency that provides organizations with highly skilled and experienced ex-CTOs who specialize in whatever industry, business model or engineering culture is needed. In this episode, Oshri talks about the current issues with technical recruiting and what we can do to fix them. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 4:13] Introduction

• Welcome, Oshri!
• Today’s Topic: Technical Recruiting is Broken—Here’s How to Fix It

[4:14 - 17:44] What is technical recruiting?

• Technology changes at a such a rapid pace that it can be difficult for HR to stay informed
• Flaws in poorly-executed technical recruiting

[17:45 - 28:33] What can be done to improve the technical recruiting experience?

• Fixing technical recruiting issues from the top down
• Why it’s critical for HR and technical managers to work together for technical recruiting

[28:34 - 35:27] How will generative AI affect the world of technical recruiting

• How technical knowledge requirements have changed as technology has evolved
• Practices that make technical recruiting more accessible 

[35:28 - 36:19] Closing

• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“[Companies should have proper technical leadership where the CTO is a business-minded individual and understands how to talk outside of their technical sphere.”

“If you ask [ChatGPT] to write a specify function that does one small thing, it can do that beautifully, but it writes code like a junior developer.”

Resources:
RedCorner

Contact:
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Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media

Summary:
Sean Luitjens is a General Manager of Total Rewards Analytics at Visier. He has over 25 years of experience working on talent acquisition software and compensation benefits software for various companies. In this episode, Sean talks about how people analytics can help businesses make informed decisions about compensation allocation and pay equity.

Chapters:
[0:00 - 4:30] Introduction
•Welcome, Sean!
•Today’s Topic: Leveraging People Analytics for Compensation Allocation

[4:31 - 11:36] Why is it difficult to allocate compensation despite all the technology available?
•HR practitioners are asked to differentiate pay while also making it equitable
•An increasing amount of data must be pulled together to make a business case for the CFO

[11:37 - 22:14] How do companies address pay equity in relation to talent retention?
•Why most companies are implementing long-term pay equity remediation plans
•Sometimes doing the right thing means that organizations need to endure some turnover

[22:15 - 26:18] What could companies do to start fixing their pay inequities?
•Build a foundation of tools to identify pay equity issues and develop a pay philosophy to address those issues
•Companies should not be afraid to be wrong

[26:19 - 26:57] Closing
•Thanks for listening!

Quotes:
“At a high level, the [HR] practitioner is being asked to pay differently but the same.”

“Don’t be afraid to be wrong . . . The good and the bad with pay equity is that you can’t fix it on one given day, so you have the ability to aim, fire, aim, fire as you go.”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
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Production by Affogato Media

Summary:

Schon Parris is the Future of Work Practice Leader at ADP where he helps clients better use their data to make well-informed business decisions. In this episode, Schon talks about what typically prevents HR teams from effectively using the data available to them and how they can overcome those obstacles and start making data-driven decisions today. 

Chapters:

[0:00 - 5:46] Introduction

• Welcome, Schon!
• Today’s Topic: How to Start Making Data-Driven HR Decisions

[5:47 - 12:10] What gets in the way of HR using data successfully?

• There needs to be an advocate that is willing to initiate new data analytics processes
• Numbers alone do not deliver the context required to tell the full story behind the data

[12:11 - 18:01] Client success stories and commonalities among them

• Formulate hypotheses and then discuss them with those involved to gather additional information
• Data will not solve problems so much as direct attention toward them

[18:02 - 28:01] What are clients building into their models to accommodate AI? 

• AI can provide insights that would have previously been very difficult to gather and help direct HR’s focus to unnoticed problems
• There’s no need to fear that AI will replace human workers

[28:02 - 30:19] Final Thoughts & Closing

• Keep it simple and start
• Thanks for listening!

Quotes:

“Somebody has to take it upon themselves to make [data analytics] important. . . . Unless you have at least one person that’s going to dive in and do the work, it’s not going to go anywhere.”

“There’s no need for someone within HR to fear the evolution of AI stealing [their job].”

Contact:
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David's LinkedIn
Podcast Manger: Karissa Harris
Email us!

Production by Affogato Media