HRchat Podcast

In this episode, Bill Banham sits down with Jennifer McClure, founder of DisruptHR, to explore how HR leaders can turn people strategy into measurable business results, build credible investment cases, and lead in an era where AI is reshaping work faster than plans can keep up.We start by tackling one of HR’s toughest barriers: resistance. Why do leaders shy away from quantifying problems, modeling outcomes, and tying people initiatives directly to business strategy? Jennifer shares a practical, trust-building approach to business cases—define the pain or opportunity, run the numbers, make predictions, and commit to measurement.From there, we look at HR’s historical roots in welfare and regulation to understand why some processes still lag today—and how to disrupt what no longer serves the organization. Think fewer blanket policies, more targeted solutions, and an uncompromising focus on value.The conversation widens to DisruptHR’s global impact—170+ licensed cities and more than 10,000 lightning talks—and why its simple format continues to surface powerful ideas across cultures. We also dig into AI’s accelerating influence on work, the shift from a scarcity of people to a scarcity of skills, and why upskilling and reskilling must be tied directly to evolving roles.Jennifer also reframes personal branding for HR leaders as career management: share what you’re learning, cite credible sources, invite debate, and build trust through consistent, useful contributions.We close with some straight talk on manager training: attendance is not impact. Start with outcomes, measure behavior change, and require application in the flow of work.If you’re ready to move HR from compliance to catalyst—and help your organization thrive amid uncertainty—this episode offers clear, practical steps you can use today.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Forget the headlines predicting a “workerless workforce.” In this episode, host Bill Banham sits down with longtime cloud and SaaS analyst Phil Wainwright to cut through the hype and examine what AI agents really mean for HR, business leaders, and the people doing the work.Phil argues that automation can be transformative—but calling software a “workforce” conceals the real challenges organisations face: governance, transparency, accountability, and change management. Together, we explore where AI agents will take hold first—help desks, admin-heavy workflows, repetitive processes—and why this shift places HR in a more strategic, cross-functional role.Listeners will get practical guidance on:How to encode policy, ethics, and organisational values into systems so AI operates safelySpecific risks in AI-driven recruiting and performance processes, from hidden bias to opaque decision pathsThe documentation, access rules, and audit trails needed to build trustHow skills-based talent frameworks are reshaping hiring, development, and mobilityWhy adaptability, empathy, creativity, and problem solving are emerging as the defining skills of modern workWe also dig into early-career disruption, the evolution of knowledge work, and the rise of modular teams blending AI, contractors, and full-time staff—without dumping everyone into the gig economy.If you’re leading HR or building teams, this episode offers a grounded roadmap for responsible AI adoption and resilient workforce design.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

The Future of Learning: Turning Training into Performance with Rob Rosenthal, President of Udemy BusinessThe ground is shifting under every team — and the biggest winners are the ones treating learning not as a checkbox, but as a performance system that fuels growth, agility, and innovation.In this in-depth episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham sits down with Rob Rosenthal, President of Udemy Business, to explore how learning and development is being redefined in an era shaped by AI, hybrid work, and rapid skills transformation.Together, Bill and Rob unpack how AI, executive sponsorship, and measurable enablement can dramatically shorten ramp times, sharpen skills, and deliver business outcomes that leaders can trust. Rob shares what he’s seeing across industries and regions: a growing expectation for L&D to partner directly with technical teams to lead AI readiness while also proving ROI to the C-suite.Listeners will discover a practical framework for building what Rob calls a “skills operating system” — one that starts with clear assessments and gap discovery, moves through curated learning paths, and lands on deliberate practice powered by AI. Rob explains how AI-based role play and virtual coaching can help new skills take hold faster, and how Udemy implemented this internally to reduce new-hire ramp time by 30% for account executives through structured enablement, not just new tools.The conversation also explores what skills truly outlast the hype. Rob highlights the continued importance of communication, change management, resilience, and leadership, especially as automation accelerates and teams face constant reinvention. Finally, Rob describes how private LLM integrations can deliver targeted, role-specific content at the exact moment of need — whether an engineer is debugging code or a manager is preparing for a tough conversation — turning learning from an occasional event into an everyday habit.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Pressure is rising on DEI programs, but the smartest companies aren’t retreating—they’re getting clearer. In this episode, Bill Banham welcomes global inclusion expert Dean Delpeache back to the show to unpack the legal, cultural, and practical forces reshaping workplace equity and belonging. From U.S. executive orders to multinational ripple effects, Dean breaks down what’s actually changing inside organizations and what’s just media noise.We explore a critical reframing: equity isn’t about engineering outcomes—it’s about ensuring access. Accommodations, transparent processes, and consistent selection criteria do more than satisfy compliance; they unlock performance. Dean details how teams can move away from identity quotas while still expanding the pipeline through intentional sourcing: partnerships with veteran groups, disability organizations, and community networks that widen opportunity without promising a numeric end state. The result is defensible, humane hiring that holds up under scrutiny.One of the most inspiring threads is the rise of neurodiversity at work. We talk candidly about shedding stigma, normalizing accommodations, and redesigning interviews to assess real job skills. Dean shares simple, high-impact changes—like structured questions, work samples, and clearer expectations—that help candidates shine and help managers make better decisions. We also dig into how leaders can host courageous conversations about race, belonging, and systemic barriers, using ERGs and time-boxed dialogues to turn discomfort into progress.We close with the data that ties it all together: belonging drives advocacy. When people feel included, they’re dramatically more likely to recommend their employer, fueling talent attraction more credibly than any ad spend. If you’re navigating DEI rollbacks, stakeholder pressure, or global alignment, this conversation offers a roadmap: document fairness, widen access, train inclusive leaders, and amplify belonging. If this resonates, subscribe, share with your team, and leave a review telling us what you’ll try first.Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events

Strategy isn’t a wishlist—it’s a series of tough choices about where to play and how to win. In this episode, economist, entrepreneur, and Strategic Value Creation author Rupert Morrison joins Bill Banham to break down why so many organisations confuse goals with strategy, and how to build a simple, practical system that links strategy to plans, KPIs, and boardroom decisions.Rupert walks through the core steps: define your unique value factors, map the capabilities that power them, and capture the activity system on one page. Then make it real with a plan-on-a-page showing today’s metrics, five-year targets, and the critical initiatives across customer, revenue, operations, finance, and people.We also cover how to test for defensible advantage—network effects, brand strength, cornered resources, process power—so your organisation is building something competitors can’t easily copy.For leaders wrestling with reporting, Rupert explains why most board packs fail and introduces a clear “view from the bridge” approach: start with highlights, lowlights, key issues, and explicit recommendations, then support the narrative with data. He also lifts the lid on private equity portfolio reporting and how tracking against the investment thesis can sharpen focus in any organisation.If you want to turn ambition into a genuine advantage, this episode is for you! Support the showFeature Your Brand on the HRchat PodcastThe HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score. Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here. Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our newsletter Check out our in-person events