Design the Future of Work Before it Designs You with Tom McCarty

The ground keeps shifting under every org chart, and AI is speeding up the tempo. We sit down with Tom McCarty, CEO of OrgChart, to map a practical path to an AI-ready organization that doesn’t lose sight of people. Tom has helped thousands of companies redesign during M&A, hypergrowth, and downturns, and he shares why most reorgs fail before they start: leaders don’t have a single, live view of their workforce. If your headcount model lives in a dusty spreadsheet, you’re guessing, not planning.We dig into the steady state of uncertainty that now defines workforce planning and how to build credible what-if scenarios. Tom breaks down the data foundation—connecting HRIS, ATS, LMS, performance systems, and acquisitions into one trusted source—so you can see roles, skills, critical talent, and team dependencies in real time. From there, we explore where AI agents fit in the org chart, how to design for complementarity rather than replacement, and why judgment and empathy still decide the final call. Visualizing teams with real people, not just cells, helps leaders avoid costly mistakes like cutting the quiet expert who holds a process together.Trust is the next frontier. Tom lays out a clear approach to data security, access controls, and staged AI adoption that protects sensitive information while unlocking speed. We also tackle HR–finance collaboration: how bottom-line targets become brittle when handed off in silos, and how cross-functional planning aligns goals over one, two, and three years. Communication emerges as the underrated superpower—free HR from data chasing so they can orchestrate the trade-offs, sequence change, and tell a story people can follow.If you’re a CHRO or people leader standing at the starting line of AI-enabled org design, Tom’s first move is decisive: get an accurate current-state view before buying tools. From there, let AI be the copilot that surfaces options while your leaders make the calls. Enjoy the conversation, then subscribe, share with a colleague making 2026 plans, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.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 LinkedInSubscribe to our newsletterCheck out our in-person events