The Mind of the SMB HR Tech Buyer with Special Guest Margaret Godwin

On this episode, Pete and Julie welcome longtime HR transformation consultant, HR tech expert, Margaret Godwin, to take the pulse on the SMB HR tech buyer, and explore what’s actually happening inside HR teams in small and mid-market organizations. From AI hype versus operational readiness to why service models, not features, are driving vendor churn.  The group discusses why SMBs churn through HCM systems, where HR tech buying decisions break down, and why service, change management, and implementation strategy matter more than features or “best AI.”  Margaret shares frontline insights on AI readiness, managed services, PEO tradeoffs, enterprise platforms moving down market, and the growing gap between what technology promises and what organizations can realistically absorb. Connect with Margaret: ‘HR Tech Minute’ Substack: https://hrtechminute.substack.com/profile/posts LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtgodwin/ Connect with the show: LinkedIn:  http://linkedin.com/company/hr-payroll-2-0 X: @HRPayroll2_0  X: @PeteTiliakos  X: @JulieFer_HR BlueSky: @hrpayroll2o.bsky.social YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HRPAYROLL2_0  WRKDefined Podcast Network: https://wrkdefined.com/podcast/hr-payroll-20  Thank you to our marquee sponsors for powering the HR & Payroll 2.0 podcast forward!  G-P ‘Globalization Partners’: https://www.globalization-partners.com/ OneSource Virtual: https://hubs.ly/Q03YFNR90 Zoho: https://www.zoho.com/press.html Thank you to our ‘wizard behind the curtain’ and show producer Ryan Kielma: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kielma/