AltHR Hive | The Shift

The Shift to Human-First AI with Deepti Moolya

Most companies are asking what AI can automate in HR. Deepti Moolya asks a better question: does it make work more human? In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Deepti, VP of HR at Happiest Minds Technologies, who helped scale the company from about 1,000 to 7,000 employees through four acquisitions. She shares real case studies of AI in HR at the enterprise level, where her team decided not to automate, and how small HR teams can start using AI with little or no budget. We get into: What breaks in HR when you scale fast: why consistency beats customization, speed beats perfection, and communication beats documentation Integrating four acquisitions without it feeling like a hostile takeover A manager coaching bot that works like a flight simulator for difficult performance conversations, with AI personas that push back AI-assisted employee recognition that nudges managers toward the people they'd miss, and helped double recognition in a year Why Happiest Minds turned down a fully automated AI onboarding agent and kept day one human AI on a shoestring: how startups and nonprofits can build HR workflows with free tools like Notion, Make.com, Zapier, and Google Workspace Why culture is what makes AI adoption work, and what happens to companies that shelved it Because people may forget the technology you rolled out. They won't forget how you made them feel. Connect with Deepti: LinkedIn Mentoring

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The Shift Beyond Awareness: Shawn Utterback on Real Inclusion

Everyone's heard of neurodiversity by now. Almost nobody's asking what happens on a Tuesday morning when someone's just trying to get their work done. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Shawn Utterback, founder of NeuroTalent Connect, to talk about why so many workplace "performance problems" are actually design problems — and why building for clarity ends up working better for everyone, not just neurodivergent employees. We get into: Why "culture fit" is really just comfort and conformity in disguise — and what changes when companies hire for culture add instead The DEI committee conversation nobody thought to have — and why it became one of the most-attended sessions his last company ever ran Masking, and the hidden cost of spending your energy decoding the workplace instead of doing the work The curb-cut effect — why captions, ramps, and clear documentation weren't built for everyone, but end up helping everyone anyway AI as a two-edged sword: it can shrink cognitive friction, or just help bad workplace design move faster Building Workplace by Design, his in-beta "People OS" — and why he shipped a rough version instead of waiting six months for a perfect one Because you can't hire for cognitive diversity and then manage for conformity. Fix the system. Don't fix the person. Connect with Shawn: LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnutterback/ NeuroTalent Connect — https://www.neurotalentconnect.com/

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The Shift to Human: Christy Honeycutt on Leading (and Surviving) a Broken System

Everyone’s talking about burnout. Almost nobody’s asking what it actually costs to keep leading through it. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Christy Honeycutt, executive coach and author of The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System, to talk about what it takes to lead with your spirit intact inside systems that were never built for it. We get into: Her throughline; and how she fell into recruitment almost by accident, to two decades leading talent at IBM and Korn Ferry The health scare that forced her to choose between her job and her life Why she believes we’ve entered a "bully era" of leadership; and what real accountability actually requires The real reason "AI is taking jobs" has become an excuse for leaders who won’t have hard conversations Why HR has a seat at the table…but only if it chooses to take it Her deceptively simple practice for finding joy again, starting with a grocery store trip in her late 40s Because you can’t build a healthy culture on top of leadership nobody’s holding accountable. Connect with Christy: LinkedIn Website Book: The Inner Work of Leading in a Broken System (Pre-order now on Amazon, out November 17th)

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The Shift to Career Dating with Robert Foldes

Job boards promised speed. What they delivered was volume: resumes optimized for keyword bots on one side, and 5,000 applicants for a single role on the other. Filtering got faster. Matching didn't get better. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Robert Foldes, founder of CareerNav, a "career dating" platform built to match job seekers and organizations on more than keywords, to talk about what's actually broken in how we find work, and how we find people. We get into: Why keyword-matching optimizes for the wrong thing, for job seekers and employers alike The aha moment from Robert's own job search — and why he started treating it like dating Culture fit vs. "culture connectedness": the shift from hiring "more of the same" to hiring for shared values Why small and mid-sized businesses lose the talent war to brand-name employers — even though they're the vast majority of the market The trouble with paying for referrals, and what breaks when the incentive replaces the trust Why nothing replaces meeting the person — and how better data gets you there faster Because a resume can tell you what someone's done. It can't tell you who they are. Connect with Robert: LinkedIn CareerNav

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The Relationship Shift: Why Every HR Leader Needs a Podcast

We sit down with Greg Wasserman, Head of Relationships at RSS.com and self-described "relationship generator," to talk about why podcasting might be the most underused relationship-building tool HR and People leaders have. We get into: Why the real ROI of a podcast was never the download count.It's the relationship Greg's throughline: "life is about time and relationships" (and how it shaped two decades in relationship development at Yahoo!, CBS, and a string of startups) Why cold outreach feels transactional, but "come on my podcast" doesn't How an internal podcast rebuilds trust HR often doesn't have; the shift from "HR wants to talk to me" dread to "I get to be a guest" Using podcasting for the vulnerable, messy conversations (think layoffs, reorgs, hard calls)...not just the highlight reel Why every employee having (or guesting on) a podcast builds brand ambassadors, whether they stay or eventually leave The tactical starting point: a $75–100 mic, one relationship worth building, and 30 honest minutes Because you don't need a content strategy. You need one relationship worth having on the record. Connect with Greg: LinkedIn Podcast Network Insights (Greg's podcast) RSS.com

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The Shift to Know Thyself: Beth White on Agency in the Age of AI

Everyone's worried AI is coming for their job. Almost nobody's asking what job they'd design for themselves if they could. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Beth White, Founder & CEO of MeBeBot — she was building AI-powered employee experience tools nearly eight years before generative AI made this a boardroom conversation — to talk about what it means to know thyself in the age of AI. We get into: Why the AI panic isn't really about AI — it's about identity, agency, and the question nobody's saying out loud The shift from shadow AI and solo chatbot bubbles to real, team-level AI literacy Why HR and People leaders have to stop being “victims of systems” — Workday, ADP, and otherwise AI governance as an act of care, not just compliance — building guardrails the way FMLA built trust “Who wrote the rule?” — the first-principles question that unsticks decades of default process Tokens, data centers, and why AI pricing might eventually look like a utility bill Because you can't outsource knowing what you're good at. But you can build the conditions — and the guardrails — for it to matter. Connect with Beth: LinkedIn MeBeBot

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How to Create Workplace Signal Loops for Forward Motion

If you're in HR, you know the rhythm. You start the week meaning to build something. By midweek you're buffering: another escalation, another avoided conversation, another policy that exists on paper but not in practice. Most of that resistance isn't a people problem. It's a readiness problem. In this session, Mindy and Marnie launch their new Signal Loop e-guide: how to pick one real friction point, run it through a single loop, and build readiness one clear move at a time. No overhaul. No grand declaration. Just a repeatable way to turn heat into forward motion. What they get into: -What "heat" actually is, and why your body often notices it before your calendar does -The six steps of the SIGNAL Loop, and why going small on purpose is how you build momentum -How readiness (shared ownership, a clear why, a doable next step) softens resistance without forcing it -Where most change efforts quietly fizzle, and how reinforcement keeps them alive The Signal Framework meets you were you are at. It helps you identify what is in your realm of control and get unstock to move forward. Get unstuck with forward movement. Purchase the Signal Loop e-guide here: https://althr.kit.com/products/the-signal-loop-field-guide Learn about Signal Loop workshops: https://althr.kit.com/workshops More ways to follow: AltHR Hive Linked In Iterations Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/company/althrhive Marnie Robbins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marnierobbins/ Vibe People Studio: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vibeps/ Mindy Honcoop: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindyhoncoop/ Agile in HR: https://www.linkedin.com/company/agileinhr/

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The Shift Back to Manager Readiness with Stacy Lademar

Most leadership, culture, and employee experience conversations come down to one thing: the everyday conversations managers have with their teams. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Stacy Lademar, a fractional learning and development officer who's trained leaders at Walmart, Royal Caribbean, and major senior living operators, to talk about the three conversations most managers were never trained for — feedback, difficult conversations, and coaching. We get into: Why being promoted for technical skill doesn't prepare anyone to lead people The "trust bank account" — how commitment (not compliance) gets built one conversation at a time, and lost all at once Why "being nice" by withholding feedback is actually the opposite of being kind The SBI model (Situation, Behavior, Impact) — and how to use it to give feedback that actually changes behavior Why a culture of "busy" is the biggest blocker to manager training What happens when leaders lean on AI to have the conversations they should be having themselves Because at the end of the day, better managers make better workplaces — and that starts with conversations, not titles. 🎁 Bonus: Stacy is sharing a free feedback guide (the SBI model with next-step examples plus a practical planning worksheet) — available in her LinkedIn featured section. Connect with Stacy: LinkedIn Website

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The Shift from Carrots & Sticks to Motivation Science with Aaron Robbins

Everyone's heard of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Almost nobody's heard of the motivation theory with thousands of studies actually behind it. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Aaron Robbins, President and Co-Founder of Intrinsic First and creator of ProACTr, to talk about what actually drives people at work — and why most organizations are still running on carrots and sticks. We get into: Why rewards and punishments get quick wins but kill creativity, persistence, and well-being Motivation as quality, not quantity — the shift from controlled to autonomous The three basic psychological needs: autonomy, competence, relatedness The gardener analogy — leaders set the environment, they don't yell at the pepper plant Short-term thinking vs. building something sustainable Why communication is the biggest motivation gap in organizations — and how to practice it Because you can't make someone motivated. But you can build the conditions where motivation thrives. Connect with Aaron: LinkedIn Intrinsic First ProACTr — leadership conversation practice tool

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The Shift Past the AI Stall with Helena McAleer & Dave Birss

Only 6% of organizations are seeing measurable ROI from AI. Everyone else? They did the training, ticked the boxes, bought the licenses... and stalled. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Helena McAleer and Dave Birss, co-founders of The Gen AI Academy, to talk about why AI adoption stalls — and why the fix isn't more tech training. It's more human. We get into: Why most organizations stall at 10–20% AI adoption (and how to get unstuck) Why HR — not the CTO — might be the most important leader in AI adoption How usage metrics get gamed, and what actually matters instead Thinking vs. doing — and how organizations accidentally discourage the one that adds value The neuroscience of friction: why “faster” can make us dumber, and what real learning requires IKEA's masterclass: retraining 8,500 call-center employees instead of replacing them And the Roomba Poopocalypse — why you have to clean up your company's mess before AI amplifies it Because AI doesn't fix your organization. It multiplies whatever's already there. 🎁 Bonus: Helena and Dave are giving our listeners free access to Dave's Human Skills in the Age of AI course — link in the comments. Connect with Helena & Dave: Helena on LinkedIn Dave on LinkedIn The Gen AI Academy

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The Shift in Performance and the Future of Work with Matt Meadows

The future of work isn’t waiting for us to catch up. But when it comes to performance management, most companies are still trying to recreate the past...just faster with AI. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Matthew Meadows, Founder of WorkStory, to talk about what actually needs to change in performance, feedback, and how we lead teams today. We get into: Why AI is accelerating broken systems The real cost of annual reviews Why teams struggle to let go of what isn’t working What it looks like to start fresh (without overhauling everything) Because this isn’t about fixing reviews. It’s about rethinking how performance actually works. Connect with Matt: LinkedIn WorkStory

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The Shift in the Social Contract of Work with Joah Spearman

What if the biggest shift in work right now isn’t AI itself… …but the breakdown of the social contract between employers and employees? On this episode of The Shift, we sat down with Joah Spearman for a conversation that fundamentally reframed how we think about work, stability, identity, and the future of employment. Together, we explored: * the untethering of financial stability from employers * the rise of fractional work, LLCs, and individualized “work stacks” * why we may be entering a “low-job, high-work” economy * AI and the erosion of the workplace compassion layer * what workers, employers, and governments are unprepared for * and what a new future of work could look like if we build it intentionally A few lines we haven’t stopped thinking about: → “The city isn’t a place anymore. It’s AI.” → “Your profession is not your safety net.” → “Work and jobs were never supposed to be the same thing.” This conversation goes far beyond HR. It’s about humanity, agency, reinvention, and what happens next as the foundations of work continue to shift beneath all of us. ______________ About Joah Spearman: Joah Spearman is the founder and CEO of TenYour, a venture-backed fintech helping professionals - and employers - build a safety net to gain financial stability and peace of mind even during job instability. Joah was inspired to create TenYour after watching his mother become the first person in his family to build generational wealth despite never earning over $50,000 annually and facing career layoffs. Joah is a serial entrepreneur, a published author and has been called one of the top voices for entrepreneurship on LinkedIn. In his spare time, Joah studies Japanese, competes in ultramarathons and is rewatches Christopher Nolan movies.

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Buzz In(side) Our Team meeting - What Do You Need to Be Fully Present Today?

Ever jump straight into a meeting without actually checking in with your team? Same. That's exactly why we started The Buzz In... it's the first 15 minutes of our real weekly team meeting, unscripted and unpolished, where we practice starting with the human before the work. This week's check-in question: What do you need, or need to leave at the door, to be fully present in our meeting today? Turns out this one hit harder than expected. We talk through what came up for each of us, why this particular check-in requires trust and psychological safety to actually work, and how you'd adapt it for different team dynamics. What you'll hear in this episode: Why we rate this check-in as "advanced" (not one for brand-new teams) How to use energy-level or emotion-based check-ins (sad, glad, mad) when naming feelings feels too vulnerable The idea of time-boxing a team venting session before diving into work Why putting the check-in question in the agenda ahead of time matters, especially for people who need time to prepare Letting your team vote on the check-in format (A, B, or C in Slack) so they have ownership We want to hear from you. If you have a human check-in technique your team uses, drop it in the comments. We'll try it out live in a future episode and retrospect on how it went. Like and subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

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Buzz Inside Our Real Tuesday Co-Founder Meeting May 12

Ever wonder what actually happens when two co-founders sit down for their weekly meeting... and nobody's watching? Now you can find out. Welcome to Buzz Inside, a new sub-series of The Shift by AltHR Hive. Every week, we hit record on the first 10–15 minutes of our real Tuesday co-founder meeting — Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins, unfiltered and unscripted. No prep. No polish. Just two people who are building something together figuring it out in real time. In this debut episode, you'll hear how we actually kick things off, and get a window into how we think through priorities, navigate the messy middle of co-founding, and keep each other honest. In this episode we share the Red, Yellow, Green meeting kick off method. If you're a founder, a co-founder, or someone who's ever wondered whether other leaders are also making it up as they go... this one's for you. Or, just want to see how you might tighten up your human connection moments and rethink your team meetings. New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe so you don't miss a Tuesday. 🎙 The Shift by AltHR Hive 🔗 Follow us: linkedin.com/company/althrhive 🔗 Join the community: bit.ly/joinAltHRHive

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The Shift from Data Overwhelm to Real Insight with Enpei Lam

We’ve gone from not having enough data… to being completely overwhelmed by it. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Enpei Lam, people analytics expert and founder of TalentAINow, to unpack why so many HR leaders feel stuck when it comes to data—and what to do about it. The problem isn’t access. It’s clarity. Enpei challenges the idea that HR and data are at odds, reframing data as a tool to better care for people—not replace the human element. We explore what it looks like to move beyond surface-level metrics and into true root cause analysis, how to connect people data with real business outcomes, and why the future of HR isn’t more reports—it’s better questions.  We also get into: Why “too much data” is the new excuse holding HR back How to turn messy, disconnected data into actionable insight The power of small experiments over big, slow initiatives How even a team of one can use data to influence business strategy Why AI and modern tools are making people analytics more accessible than ever If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by data—or unsure where to start—this conversation will shift how you think about what’s possible. Follow Enpei on LinkedIn for more insights: / enpei-lam

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A Real Talk on Managers in Change with Ali Merchant

Managers are being asked to carry more than ever… and we’re not talking about it enough. In this episode of The Shift, we sit down with Ali Merchant to unpack what’s really happening in the middle of change — where managers are expected to translate strategy, support their teams, and stay confident… often without the clarity or support they need. This isn’t a conversation about frameworks. It’s a conversation about what’s actually happening inside organizations right now. We get into: • Why managers are becoming the default “solution” for everything (and why that’s a problem) • What leaders are missing when rolling out change — especially with AI • The psychological weight managers are carrying right now • Why “just communicate better” isn’t enough • How to support managers without over-relying on training • The shift from mandates → modeling • A practical way to think about AI transformation (the “T strategy”) We also explore the real tension behind AI at work — including fear, uncertainty, and what Ali calls the need for better discernment and taste in a world where answers are easy, but judgment matters more than ever. “Managers are responsible for everything… but who’s taking care of them?” About Ali Ali Merchant is the founder of All In Manager, a leadership development firm focused on helping managers become better leaders. He’s trained thousands of managers and coached senior leaders around the world, and is the author of The All In Manager. ⸻ Connect with Ali Website: https://allinmanager.com LinkedIn: / alimerchant Substack: https://substack.com/@alimerchant

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Building Leadership Confidence and Energizing Teams via Improv with Jill Pavlov

What if the key to stronger leadership communication isn’t more preparation, but learning how to respond in the moment? In this episode of The SHIFT Podcast, Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins sit down with executive presence trainer Jill Pavlov to explore how improv techniques can help leaders think clearly, communicate with confidence, and energize their teams. You’ll walk away with simple exercises that help teams speak up, build on ideas, and navigate uncertainty together.

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The Shift - Team Meetings

HR leaders are being asked to navigate constant change, make high-stakes decisions, and “have a strategy”… often without a team to think things through with. In this episode of AltHR Hive Live: The Shift, Mindy Honcoop and Marnie Robbins have an honest, unscripted conversation about what’s changing in HR—and why so many Heads of People feel stuck, overwhelmed, or second-guessing themselves. We introduce a concept we believe more HR leaders need: team meetings outside your company. Not status updates. Not webinars. A real working session where HR leaders bring what they’re dealing with right now, gut-check their thinking, challenge assumptions, and leave with a next step. In this conversation, we explore: Why solo HR leaders are expected to bring strategy without support How traditional meetings and content-heavy communities fall short What great team meetings actually do (safety, sense-making, momentum) Why asking for help is often misread as incompetence—and how to change that How external team meetings help HR leaders grow before they have a team of their own This is a candid, slightly messy conversation—because that’s real life in HR right now. If you’ve ever thought: “I wish I had someone to think this through with…” This conversation is for you.

Courage, Culture & Mastering Your Craft with Laurie Shakur

In this live conversation, we sit down with Laurie Shakur, Fractional Chief People Officer and author of The HR Green Book, to unpack what HR leaders are navigating in today’s evolving workplace. Key moments from the conversation: How Laurie’s early career shaped her conviction around culture and leadership What courage really looks like in HR (esp. when you’ve been “shushed” in the past) Why HR must stop giving up too soon when pushing back for the greater good The importance of mastering your craft (psychology, sociology, change management) Micro-learning and using AI to build expertise intentionally Rebuilding trust when it’s been eroded between HR and leadership Why compassion and connection need to return to the center of workplace culture Laurie shares practical, no-nonsense advice for HR leaders at every stage of their career: ✔ Early career? Master your craft and find a mentor. ✔ Later career? Own your voice and rebuild trust intentionally. This is a conversation about integrity, courage, and the human side of leadership in a rapidly changing world. 📄 Learn more about Laurie: Website: https://laurieshakurconsulting.com/ LinkedIn: / laurieshakur Buy The HR Green Book, here: https://www.amazon.com/HR-Green-Book-...