309 - Why AI Should Give Us Time Back, Not More Work: Ray'n Terry (Chief People Officer, MOO)

Ray'n Terry, Chief People Officer at MOO, joined us on The Modern People Leader to discuss why AI should create more space for humanity at work instead of simply increasing productivity. We talked about balancing business performance with employee wellbeing, rethinking performance management in an AI-powered world, and why leaders must intentionally help people reclaim time, creativity, and connection.----  Sponsor Links:🔗 Book a conversation with Compete at compete.com/mpl🔗 Learn more about Intuit QuickBooks Workforce at QuickBooks.com/workforce🔗 Learn more about Tilt at hellotilt.com/mpl----  (05:12) Ray'n's Career Journey and Moving from the U.S. to London(10:05) Joining Moo and Choosing the Right Leadership Opportunity(12:25) The Interview That Almost Went Wrong(14:18) Vulnerability, Resilience, and Leadership Self-Awareness(16:05) Opening Moo’s South Africa Office and Scaling Globally(17:28) Why Strong Culture Changes the Role of a CPO(18:10) AI, Humanity, and Giving People Time Back(20:08) The Washing Machine Story and Lessons for AI Adoption(21:55) Critical Thinking, Creativity, and Human Connection in an AI Era(24:05) Why Leaders Must Intentionally Reclaim Time(26:10) Fighting the Culture of Filling Every Minute with Work(26:52) Moo’s Experiment: Reinvesting Free Time Into Personal Wellbeing(28:15) The ROI of AI: Better Humans, Not Just More Productivity(30:20) Leadership, Employee Engagement, and Human Performance(31:05) Can HR Still Make Work Better?(32:15) Why Human Impact Often Happens Behind the Scenes(34:15) Moo’s AI Survey and Understanding Employee Sentiment(35:20) Speed vs. Quality: What Employees Are Experiencing(36:40) Leadership Responsibility in High-Pressure Environments(38:20) AI’s Impact on Productivity and Workday Design(39:05) Recognition, Performance, and AI-Assisted Work(40:35) Rethinking Performance Reviews in an AI World(42:10) Why Traditional Performance Management May Need Reinvention(44:00) Balancing Compliance, Governance, and Modern Talent Practices(46:45) Leadership, Humanity, and High Performance Can Coexist(49:45) Clear Expectations, Feedback, and Human-Centered Leadership(51:20) Productivity, Flexibility, and Managing Outcomes Instead of Time(52:30) Rapid Fire: Advice for New HR Professionals ---- 📬 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.