Pearson SVP HR Ops Tim Young

📝 Episode Summary Tim shares how he built (and scrapped) a multimillion-dollar AI interview scheduling bot, why we should rethink HR's "pecking order," and lessons from the front lines of automation. The conversation dives into digital assistants, digital workers, and why HR and IT must now operate as true partners. Tim also challenges the idea that transactional HR work is a necessary career stepping stone, arguing instead for a smarter, more strategic entry path into the profession.  🔑 Key Takeaways Shared Services Is Strategic: The most frequent HR touchpoint for employees sits in operations, exactly where AI can drive real differentiation. Not Every AI Bet Pays Off: Tim shares a candid story of a failed, high-investment interview scheduling build and the lessons learned about build vs. buy. 80% Isn't Good Enough in High-Stakes Workflows: In areas like recruiting, partial automation can create more risk than value. Digital Workers Are Coming: HR and IT must think about AI agents like employees, onboarding, training, performance management included. Entry-Level HR Needs Rethinking: Transactional work shouldn't be the default gateway to the profession in an AI-augmented world. Tim Young on LinkedIn LHH Recruitment Solutions  A Beautiful Working World A Soundbeam Studios Production