The HR Huddle

After years climbing the corporate ladder including stints at Fortune 100 companies and multiple runs in the C-suite as a Chief Marketing Officer Jenn Ravalli hit a wall. No matter how much she achieved, there was no finish line. So, she made the leap: she left it all behind to found Maverick Meridian, a go-to-market strategy firm for companies that dare to be different.  In this episode, Jenn joins Teri and Susan for an honest conversation about what it really takes to walk away from stability and build something of your own. She talks about the fear of putting her family at risk, the "Happiness Plan" she built with a close friend to reclaim her time and sanity, why leaving behind a team was the scariest part of the transition, and how she found new ways to lead without giving that up.  Jenn also opens up about learning to have an opinion after years of protecting a corporate brand, the importance of finding people who will challenge your thinking (not just cheer you on), and the unexpected personal shift that's surprised her most since making the change: laughing more than she has in years.  Whether you're standing at the edge of your own pivot or just curious what it looks like to bet on yourself, this episode is full of hard-won lessons on courage, community, and building a career and a life on your own terms. 

Payroll data isn't just a compliance checkbox — it's one of the most valuable, real-time data sets an organization has. This week, we talk about why payroll data (unlike predictive data) reflects what's actually happening in your organization, and why that makes it a goldmine for AI-powered payroll applications — a theme that came up again and again during a recent UKG customer meeting. We also dig into Cyndio's acquisition of Embrace.ai, a pay equity AI company, and what it means for organizations racing to keep up with pay equity regulations — especially with looming deadlines in Europe. With 400+ global enterprises already using Cyndio, this move puts them front and center in the compensation conversation. Plus, a look at what's coming up: Cliff heads to the Learn event in Minneapolis to talk data with HR pros, and Stacey's co-hosting a webinar with Tim Crawford on how CIOs, CHROs, and CFOs can team up to build smarter AI strategies. Because if HR, IT, and Finance are working in silos, AI isn't going to get you very far. In this episode: Why payroll data is a must-have for AI in HR What Cyndio's acquisition of Embrace.ai means for pay equity Upcoming events: Learn (Minneapolis) and a CIO/CHRO/CFO webinar with Tim Crawford Why cross-functional collaboration is the key to real AI progress in HR

The Future of HR Tech: Trust, Transparency, and Responsible AI AI is changing how HR teams recruit, evaluate, and build trust with candidates — but is the technology keeping up with the ethics? In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Joplin, Chief AI Officer, to unpack what responsible AI actually looks like in practice. Daniel walks us through the real challenges organizations face when adopting AI in HR — from candidate fraud and rebuilding trust, to the often-overlooked cost and complexity of token-based pricing models. We dig into the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and what it means for AI integration, explore why explainability is non-negotiable for responsible AI, and talk candidly about bias: as Daniel puts it, AI is biased because humans are biased. Whether you're evaluating AI vendors, building internal AI policy, or just trying to understand what's coming next, this conversation offers a grounded, practical look at where AI in HR is headed — and what it will take to get trust right. In this episode: AI's role in HR and recruitment Trust and transparency in AI systems Responsible AI and ethical considerations Token usage and cost implications MCP protocol and AI integration challenges Candidate fraud and rebuilding trust The future of specialized AI models

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris & Cliff Stevenson dig into the market shifts reshaping how organizations buy, build, and use HR technology. From AI-first HRMS platforms launched by former Workday leaders to global expansion plays from companies like PrismHR, the competitive landscape is moving fast — and the stakes for HR leaders have never been higher. We cover what's actually changing (and what's just noise), including the growing demand for trusted, clean data as the foundation for any meaningful AI application, the emergence of outcome-based pricing models, and why compliance and transparency aren't optional features — they're table stakes. Plus, a preview of what's ahead in Sapient Insights Group's upcoming Annual HR Systems Survey and what the data is already telling us about where the market is headed. In this episode: AI-first HRMS platforms and the founders behind them Global HR tech expansion — what it means for buyers Why your data strategy determines your AI outcomes Outcome-based pricing: hype or the future of HR tech? Compliance and transparency in an AI-driven HR world

In this episode of The Pivot Effect, hosts Teri Zipper and Susan Richards welcome guest Amy Gerhartz, Founder & Lead Coach of A Higher Way Of Living, as they talk through what it actually looks like to leave a career you built from scratch - and why the hardest part of starting over is often convincing yourself you belong in the new space. Amy highlights the specific fears that came up when she transitioned into coaching and speaking, including the worry that people would write her off as "just a musician," and how she worked through them. Now, with a deliberate plan to blend both careers under her own name, give up her apartment, and head back on the road, Amy's story is a case study in what it looks like to build a life on your own terms without waiting until it all makes sense. Key points covered include: ↪️ Amy describes how touring burnout crept in gradually over five years before the pandemic made the decision for her, and why she believes even the work you love will wear you down without intentional breaks. ↪️ She gets specific about imposter syndrome in a second career, including the fear of not being taken seriously and the choice to keep her two careers completely separate until she felt secure enough to merge them. ↪️ Patience is the skill she credits most to her pivots, and she makes a direct case for why moving too fast through early career stages would have cost her the depth she has now. ↪️ Amy shares the details behind her current decision to give up her apartment and tour indefinitely, including how she planned it financially and why a strong support network is what made it feel stable rather than reckless. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards  Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Amy Gerhartz LinkedIn The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson cover several notable moves in the HR tech market, including Betterworks acquiring Rypple and Rod Johnson joining UKG as Chief Revenue Officer, with broader observations about where the performance management and frontline worker markets are heading. The conversation turns to pricing pressure across the industry, with vendors and customers alike struggling less with the cost of AI and more with the unpredictability of usage-based models. They also discuss two research-backed arguments that push back on the assumption that AI is driving junior hiring declines, pointing instead to remote work and shifting knowledge transfer patterns as the more significant factors. Key points covered include: ↪️ Misdiagnosis rates for women run as high as 50% in some categories compared to men, and AI diagnostic tools trained on historically skewed data are compounding that problem rather than correcting it. ↪️A class action lawsuit against Eightfold AI raises a question that goes beyond bias: when AI is screening and eliminating candidates without visible human oversight, do those candidates have a right to know? ↪️Usage-based pricing for AI tools is producing a measurable drop in adoption, with users saying the issue is not the price itself but the inability to budget for something unpredictable. ↪️Two separate research papers argue with data that the real driver behind reduced junior hiring is remote work cutting off informal apprenticeship pipelines, not AI displacement. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined  Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Cliff Stenvenson and guest Sudeep Cherian, VP Product Marketing at Cornerstone dig into what it actually means to bring agentic AI into the workforce technology stack. Sudeep walks through how Cornerstone's updated platform architecture layers a context graph and pre-built agents on top of the learning, talent, and skills infrastructure customers already use, giving those capabilities more workforce context to work with. The conversation gets into the accountability questions that come with agentic workflows - including who owns the decisions these systems make, where humans need to stay in the loop, and why HR is better positioned than most to answer those questions.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Cornerstone's Galaxy architecture has evolved to include a context graph and skills engine that give the platform more understanding of the workforce, making existing capabilities more useful rather than replacing them. ↪️ HR leaders need to be asking the right questions about AI agents before deployment, including who is accountable for decisions, whether there is traceability, and where a human needs to stay in the loop. ↪️ Rather than shifting customers to usage-based pricing, Cornerstone is offering agent packs within a subscription model to keep costs predictable for buyers who can't yet forecast AI consumption. ↪️ Sudeep sees the next six to twelve months as the window where Cornerstone moves from HR-only conversations to the broader C-suite table, with the people graph driving larger workforce decisions. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Sudeep Cherian LinkedIn The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined  Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Cliff Stevenson and Allison Williams, Director of Research Programs at Sapient Insights Group, Anthropic's acquisition of Stainless, the SDK and MCP server tooling company, and what that consolidation means for organizations building on agentic AI. They also dig into the growing tension around AI cost structures, particularly the unpredictability of usage-based pricing and what that pressure is producing across vendors from Cornerstone to Paychex.  The hosts also cover workforce entry challenges for young workers, a significant expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to short-term trade certifications, and a fintech CEO who fired his entire HR team and then claimed the problems disappeared. Key points covered include: ↪️ AI usage-based pricing is creating real budget stress for organizations, with data showing eight in ten IT leaders reported unexpected charges from consumption-based models. The unpredictability of costs, not the costs themselves, is the core problem. ↪️ Cornerstone's Workforce AI and Paychex's WISE platform both reflect a shift away from transactional queries toward intelligence layers that connect skills, learning, and workforce data to business outcomes. ↪️ Anthropic's acquisition of Stainless consolidates SDK and MCP server tooling under one roof, which raises vendor concentration risk for any organization building on agentic AI infrastructure. ↪️The U.S. Department of Education's expansion of Pell Grants to cover programs as short as eight weeks signals a meaningful shift in how workforce entry pathways are being supported at the federal level, with a goal of reaching an additional 100,000 students within eight years. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Allison Williams LinkedIn The HR Channel Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of The Pivot Effect, hosts Teri Zipper and Susan Richards welcome guest Rajiv Chandrasekaran from Where You Work Matters, an independent data project that analyzed real outcomes for 12 million workers across 1,750 employers over five years. Unlike traditional best-places-to-work surveys, this project measures whether companies actually help people advance, earn more, and stay in their roles, broken down by specific occupation and employer.  The conversation covers how the list rates employers across three archetypes, early career, growth, and stability, so workers at any stage can identify which companies fit their specific goals. It also moves into practical steps, including how to use the free comparison tool at whereyouworkmatters.org to evaluate competing job offers with data your hiring manager can't argue with. Key points covered include: ↪️ The list rates occupations at the company level using three archetypes: early career, growth, and stability. That means you can identify the right employer for your specific career stage rather than defaulting to overall company reputation. ↪️ Well-regarded companies don't necessarily perform well across every occupation. At Apple, for example, project management specialists see strong pay and retention but limited advancement pathways for early-career professionals. ↪️ Sales managers at platinum-rated growth companies are 89% more likely to receive an internal promotion within five years and 71% more likely to land a better job when they leave, compared to those at unrated companies. ↪️The comparison tool at whereyouworkmatters.org lets job seekers evaluate up to three employers side by side for a specific occupation, giving them concrete data to bring directly into hiring conversations. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards  Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter Rajiv Chandrasekaran LinkedIn Where You Work Matters LinkedIn The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined  Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson pick up where they left off, working through a long list of market announcements that includes UKG's partnership with Google Gemini, Amazon's entry into agentic hiring with Connect Talent, and SAP's data acquisition strategy as a direct counter to Workday's consolidation play. They discuss leadership changes at isolved, ICIMS, Cornerstone, and NOVAworks.   The duo also talk about how people moves at Anthropic and FICO point to the blurring of consumer and business worlds. The hosts get into harder conversations, such as AI model rollout risks, the security vulnerabilities surfacing in vibe coding platforms, and why relying primarily on historical data without an overarching, carefully considered data theory will likely result in faulty predictions. Key points covered include: ↪️ Private equity companies are moving fast on workforce management systems, and the hosts make the case that the real assets being purchased are not the software systems but the continuous, real-time data generated from time and attendance and other similar applications. ↪️ AI model updates carry a risk that traditional software updates do not: when an underlying AI model changes, everything built on it can behave differently and potentially unpredictably.  The hosts break down why this is a problem the HR tech market is not yet prepared for. ↪️ The hosts discuss Phenom’s acquisition of Plum, described as “a pioneer in psychometric-based talent assessments that validate the durable skills AI cannot manufacture and resumes cannot verify.” As AI makes it easy for job seekers to fabricate resumes and interview responses, organizations increasingly need behavioral science tools that measure attributes AI cannot fake — such as empathy, judgment, adaptability, resilience. ↪️AI diagnostic tools used in medicine are producing significantly higher error rates for women than for men.  These are traced directly to decades of underrepresentation of women in medical research.  The hosts point out that similar data insufficiencies and bias can also cause harm when using AI tools for HR purposes.   The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Bluesky | LinkedIn  The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefinedInstagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson work through everything they saw and heard across Infor Analyst Day, HR Tech Europe, Oracle, Workday Innovation Summit, ICIMS, ADP, Workhuman, and Canva. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open, and the hosts share why companies with fewer than 10 employees are a specific target this year and what new finance and EMEA data will add to the research. A wave of acquisitions, from Phenom buying Plum to Paylocity picking up Grayscale to Gusto acquiring Mosey, signals a market fast consolidating around talent acquisition, compliance, and workforce data.  The episode also covers outcomes-based pricing models gaining traction across major vendors, the growing arms race between AI-generated resumes and AI-powered screening tools, and what it actually costs small businesses to stay compliant when no one is watching. Key points covered include: ↪️ Outcomes-based pricing is moving from concept to contract, with Oracle charging per outcome achieved and Workday shifting its philosophy toward selling results rather than applications, and the hosts break down what that means for HR buyers trying to build a budget around AI. ↪️ Recruiting technology is in an active consolidation cycle, with multiple acquisitions targeting the same pressure point: how to hire at scale, cut through AI-generated resume fraud and deepfake interview responses, and still give candidates an experience that does not erode trust in the process. ↪️ Small business compliance carries a steeper price tag than most owners realize, with businesses under 50 employees spending roughly $14,700 per employee per year on compliance costs, and Gusto's acquisition of Mosey points to a growing market for AI tools built to close that gap. ↪️ Deel's new AI token tracking feature inside its performance management tool puts a spotlight on a question most organizations cannot currently answer: whether employees are actually using the AI tools their companies have paid for. The 29th annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Add your organization's voice to the largest HR tech survey in the industry at the link below. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Bluesky | LinkedIn  The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Cliff Stevenson and Tammy Smith, Sapient’s senior manager of data science, mark the public launch of the 29th Annual HR Systems Survey, the most expansive and longest-running survey of its kind. Almost 10,000 professionals representing 4,670 organizations worldwide participated in last year’s survey.  In response to participant feedback, this year’s survey includes two entirely new sections covering finance systems and compliance and risk management.  Cliff and Tammy walk through how the survey works, why organizational-level data matters, and what participants receive when they submit their responses. Key points covered include: ↪️ The survey now includes dedicated sections covering solutions for core finance, travel and expense, and financial planning.  Finance professionals, C-suite leaders, and business managers are invited to complete this new section.   ↪️ The survey platform saves responses so participants can complete the survey in multiple sessions if needed.  Sapient encourages distribution of the survey across departments and subject matter experts.    ↪️ Participants will receive an unabridged copy of the survey results, expected to be published in October 2026. As an additional bonus, after completing the survey, participants have the option to receive a benchmark report based on their answers and last year’s survey data for either their industry or a geographic region. IHRM also awards 10 continuing education credits to those completing the survey.   ↪️Over the last 29 years, the data set has grown exponentially.  For instance, in 2021participants represented 2,177 unique organizations compared to 4,670 in 2025. The annual research report has also expanded, growing from 150 pages to 380 pages over that same period. The 29th Annual HR Systems Survey is now open through June 24th. Use the link below to add your organization's voice. LINK TO SURVEY Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Tammy Smith LinkedIn The HR Channel  Instagram | LinkedIn WRKdefined Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of The Pivot Effect, Teri Zipper and Susan Richards are launching something new. The Pivot Effect is a podcast built around the individual, where you are in your career, where you want to go, and what it takes to get there in a world of work that keeps shifting underneath you. In this first episode, Teri and Susan introduce the show's focus: the skills, mindset, and self-direction that matter now, whether you're navigating AI, rethinking your role, or just ready to stop following and start leading. Think of this as the conversation the organizational lens has been missing. Key points covered include: ↪️ Why AI adoption is moving faster at the individual level than the enterprise level, and what that tells us about who's really driving change at work. ↪️ How early adopters are already offloading routine work to AI tools so they can focus on what actually moves the needle. ↪️ Why reinventing yourself every three to five years used to be the rule, and why that window is shrinking fast. ↪️ What Teri and Susan are planning to cover on the show, including career pivots, personal journeys, and the data behind where you work and why it matters. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2025-26 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards  Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson dig into a news week in which the same question keeps surfacing: how much should you trust the data in front of you? Oracle laid off 30,000 employees, and the financial story behind that decision is more complicated than the AI narrative being used to explain it. Meanwhile, a meta-analysis of six major consulting firms working from the same data produced conclusions so different they barely resemble each other, which is its own argument for never acting on a single source. They also tackle the real cost of removing humans from decision-making chains, using Laszlo Bock's post on AI-assisted military targeting as a case study for what happens when speed becomes the only goal.  Key points covered include: ↪️ The official narrative on Oracle's layoffs is AI replacing unnecessary roles, but the numbers behind $58 billion in borrowing and $156 billion in data center commitments tell a more complicated story about cash flow needs. ↪️ Six consulting firms analyzing the same AI data produced an array of starkly different conclusions.  For instance, one firm concluded that AI had "zero economic impact" while another cited quadrupling productivity rates. According to the hosts, this shows why industry benchmarks and recommendations are not a reliable basis for your organization's AI decisions. ↪️ "Human in the loop" is not enough if that human is only doing a final sign-off without visibility into how the AI reached its recommendation ↪️ AI pricing is moving away from flat subscription models toward usage-based and connector-based charges, and buyers who treat AI as an unlimited resource right now are going to face a reckoning as that infrastructure debt comes due. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Cliff Stevenson debuts as host alongside guest Aly Baxter, Director of Product Management at Indeed, to dig into what's actually happening on both sides of the hiring process as AI use accelerates. They look at why more AI adoption hasn't translated into faster hiring, what recruiters really need from these tools, and how Indeed's Smart Screening is trying to fix the dynamic between job seekers and employers. Whether you're trying to fill roles or land one, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets to what actually works. Key points covered include: ↪️ AI adoption in recruiting is at 49%, the highest of any HR function, yet time to hire is still going up, which tells you adoption alone is not the answer. ↪️ Before adding any AI to your hiring process, map every step and how long it takes. That's the only way to know where it will actually help and how to measure whether it does. ↪️ For job seekers, validating your experience, certifications, licenses, work history, matters more than a polished resume in a world where employers can't tell what's real. ↪️ The goal on both sides is the same: get to a real human conversation as fast as possible, and the best AI tools are the ones that clear the path to that moment instead of replacing it. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Aly Baxter LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson recap two of the biggest HR tech events of the spring season and break down what they actually heard from participating CHROs, mid-market HR leaders, and vendors. The conversation moves through a packed week of news, covering acquisitions, funding rounds, platform expansions, and many rebrands. They dig into the growing debate around the use of synthetic data panels, the liability ruling against Meta and Google, and new research showing C-suite leaders still expect AI to yield productivity gains despite seeing little impact over the past three years.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Organizations across mid-market and enterprise are still trying to get their existing HR systems working together, and many are frustrated that AI conversations keep taking priority over fixing that foundation first. ↪️ Proprietary data is what separates defensible companies from ones that can be replicated - that theme runs through the Findem/Glider acquisition, Payscale's Compass tool, and Origin's $50M raise. ↪️ The liability verdict against Meta and Google opens real questions for HR vendors incorporating AI into their solutions. In particular, vendors selling AI-supported coaching, performance management, learning, and recruiting tools could be held accountable for what their AI agents do. ↪️ Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that CEOs and CFOs reported minimal productivity improvement from AI use over the last three years, and yet still predict nearly 1% productivity gains annually going forward. At the same time, data center capacity is dropping.  The data disconnect indicates that despite the ongoing AI hype, companies are in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to AI’s business and ROI value.    The hosts get into the pros and cons of synthetic data panels – AI-generated, simulated groups that are supposed to mimic the behaviors, preferences, and survey responses of real people. They discuss the challenges of using synthetic panels for decision making and the questions customers should have when reviewing results.  Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this fan-favorite episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Chris Taylor, Founder and CEO of Actionable.co, discuss why most training programs fail to drive lasting behavior change and what actually works. Drawing from data across 9,000 learning programs and over 100,000 participants, Chris shares the proven methodology behind turning workplace learning into measurable results.  The conversation explores the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it, revealing that most organizations spend 80% of training time on content when they should be spending 75% on context and application. Chris introduces practical strategies including the 3:1 context-to-content ratio, accountability partnerships that triple success rates, and cohort structures that dramatically increase commitment when groups stay under 10 participants. Key points covered include: ↪️ Training programs achieve far greater success with a 3:1 ratio of context to content, allowing participants to find their personal "why" in addition to understanding organizational objectives. ↪️ Accountability partners increase the likelihood of sustaining behavior change by three times when participants check in at least twice after the initial session, yet this free and simple tool remains underused. ↪️ Cohort learning becomes significantly more effective when groups stay below 10 participants, with daily practice expectations and regular progress reviews at the start of each session. ↪️ AI will commoditize the "how" of change through accessible content, but human facilitation remains critical for helping individuals discover why they care enough to actually change their behavior. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Chris Taylor LinkedIn Actionable.co LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss Perceptyx's acquisition of Lyceum AI; the general availability of Insperity HRScale; and the just-announced Sana from Workday. The wide-ranging conversation also gets into Canva’s new Magic Layers for managing the design and content of legacy learning; Grammarly’s controversial Expert Review; people news at Employ, UKG, and Adobe; ICIM’s rebranding and Coalesce AI;  and filtered's SCORM Intelligence.  The duo also calls out a potential pricing disrupter brought about by AI agents. Pricing models built around AI usage and API access are starting to hit real cost barriers for larger organizations Key points covered include: ↪️ With the promise of bringing “superintelligence to work,” Workday has launched Sana for Workday, which includes: Sana for Workday, a new AI interface for Workday; Sana Self-Service Agent, which automates HR and finance workflows; and Sana Enterprise, designed to automate work across the enterprise systems and applications employees use everyday. ↪️ Insperity HRScale, created from Insperity’s partnership with Workday, is now generally available, giving small businesses access to enterprise-grade HR technology while creating a potential pipeline for Workday as those companies grow. ↪️ With the recent acquisition of Lyceum AI, Perceptyx seeks to translate employee signals into personalized capability and skills building in the flow of work. Or, as stated in the news release, to close the gap between employee insights into actual business impact.   ↪️ Grammarly disabled its Expert Review AI agent after backlash over its use of named writers' voices; the controversy, which has spawned a class action lawsuit, raises broader questions about the boundary between AI-assisted writing and unauthorized use of an individual's identity and creative IP. ↪️ Research facts about use of benefit brokers: Sapient’s 2025-2026 data shows that 65% of companies with under 2,500 employees say their brokers have significant influence on how they run HR.  A corollary: organizations using brokers or other third-party HR support are 90% more likely to be viewed as contributing strategic value to their companies. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this special episode* of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Zach Keep, Manager, Compliance Risk at Paychex, break down the compliance and regulatory shifts that HR professionals, finance teams, and business owners need to track in 2026. They dig into the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and what the "no tax on tips and overtime" provision actually means for employees. The conversation moves through AI legislation at the state level, where new laws are multiplying faster than federal guidance can keep up, and into retirement plan incentives that are making 401(k) adoption more accessible for small businesses than ever before.  Key points covered include: ↪️ The "no tax on tips and overtime" provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill is a refundable tax credit, not a true exemption, and employees should weigh the tradeoffs before adjusting their withholding. ↪️ Federal tax credits under Secure 2.0, including credits for plan establishment and employer matching, have lowered the cost barrier enough that small businesses can now offer 401(k) plans without significant financial risk. ↪️ AI regulation is moving faster at the state level than the federal level, with most legislation focused on deepfakes, privacy protections, and automated decision-making, but that picture will likely shift through 2026. ↪️ Worker classification rules are still in flux, with litigation pending on the 2024 independent contractor rule, and state and local employment laws are filling gaps that federal rollbacks leave behind. For up-to-date compliance resources for your business, visit: paychex.com/state-resources  *This podcast episode is sponsored by Paychex. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Zach Keep LinkedIn Paychex LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson cover a packed week of HR tech news ranging from SD Workx’s expanded European payroll reach to Canva’s acquisition of two AI companies that are quietly becoming relevant to HR practitioners. They dig into Workday’s Agent System of Record, now generally available; the DOL's new AI literacy framework; and Matt Shumer’s controversial essay on AI’s future that garnered more than 80 million views on X.   Key points covered include: ↪️ Canva is aggressively expanding its design ecosystem with the acquisitions of MangoAI, which sells AI video ad optimization tools, and Cavalry, a U.K. based 2D animation design company.  These acquisitions aim to transform Canva from a simple template tool into a comprehensive creative ecosystem for both casual and professional users. ↪️ PayScale's 2026 Best Practices Compensation Report finds 61% of organizations now list AI skills as part of existing roles, but only 45% are adjusting compensation to reflect those skills. ↪️ Two legal cases involving AI use - one tied to a criminal investigation, another around attorney-client privilege - offer practical reminders that legally one must have full knowledge of the work to be done before relying on AI output.  Nor is AI output protected under attorney-client privilege.   ↪️ The U.S. Department of Labor released an AI literacy framework for guiding the development of training programs to equip American workers with foundational, non-technical AI skills. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Kate O'Neill, Founder and CEO of KO Insights, examine what it actually takes to lead through a period of rapid technological change. The conversation moves beyond AI adoption tactics and into the harder questions around how people make decisions, resist change, and find meaning in their work when automation is reshaping the ground beneath them. Kate draws from her background in tech humanism to explain why the fears employees have about AI are worth listening to, not just managing, and how organizations that skip those conversations tend to pay for it later.  Key points covered include: ↪️ When employees resist new technology, they may be sensing real trade-offs the organization has not acknowledged, such as loss of institutional knowledge or cultural continuity. HR leaders are well-positioned to surface those concerns rather than manage around them. ↪️ AI tools work best as scaffolding beneath human judgment, not as a replacement for it. Organizations that focus on structuring unstructured data and building clear rules and thresholds will move faster than those chasing full automation. ↪️ "Bankable foresight" is Kate's term for signals you are not ready to act on yet but track over time so your decisions are calibrated to something beyond the current moment's anxiety. ↪️ Prompt skilling is the minimum viable entry point for AI adoption. Teaching people to write better prompts also develops clearer thinking and stronger delegation skills, making it useful well beyond AI contexts. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Kate O'Neill LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson break down Workday's announcement of Aneel Bhusri's return as CEO and what it signals about how HR tech companies are repositioning for AI-era challenges. New research reveals employee priorities have shifted more dramatically than at any point in the last 20 years, with organizational stability ranking above feeling valued at work for the first time since 2016. Major acquisitions continue reshaping the skills and assessment landscape, while new data governance solutions point to growing concerns about data quality and AI effectiveness. Key points covered include: ↪️ Workday leadership transition as Carl Eschenbach steps down and founder Aneel Bhusri returns as CEO, with analysis of what this means for customers and partners during the AI transformation. ↪️ Employee engagement research showing stability concerns now outrank feeling valued for the first time in a decade, marking the most dramatic shift in engagement drivers in 20 years. ↪️ Skills infrastructure investments including Phenom acquiring Be Applied for AI-first assessments, Skillsoft's Percipio rebranding, and Workday's Military Skills Mapper for veteran hiring. ↪️ Data governance entering the HR conversation with Pantomath's funding for data lineage tracking and G2's consolidation of software review platforms. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Melissa Reeve, creator of the hyper-adaptive model and author of the forthcoming book "Hyper-Adaptive: Rewiring the Enterprise to Become AI Native," explains successful AI integration requires organizations to spend 70% of their effort on people changes rather than technology implementation. The conversation covers how jobs will be deconstructed and reassembled as AI automates tasks, why companies need an "AI North Star" to guide adoption, and what organizational structures must be built to support the transition.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Organizations need an "AI North Star"—a clear, compelling business goal that helps employees understand why they're implementing AI and how their roles connect to that mission. ↪️ Companies are building things like  AI activation hubs and councils with programmatic support for AI leads, creating networks that atomize learning and deliver relevant information to frontlines quickly as new capabilities emerge. ↪️ Success requires creating protected time and safe spaces for employees to explore AI through their curiosity, such as "prompting parties" where teams compare approaches and discover possibilities together. ↪️ Start by using empathy mapping to identify tasks employees dislike (bug chasing, testing, invoice processing) and demonstrate how AI can handle those activities, shifting mindset from job replacement fears to capability enhancement. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss the latest tech acquisitions while exploring how AI-powered solutions are reshaping employee experience. The hosts address the Eightfold lawsuit and its implications for data privacy, examine CEO perspectives on AI decisions and implementations, and discuss Greenhouse's mission to make hiring work for everyone. They also touch on the role of HR leaders when business decisions present potential risks and how different generations view the social stances taken by their employers. Key points covered include: ↪️ M&A activity accelerates with acquisitions focused on AI-powered recruitment, global payroll services, and workforce planning capabilities that expand platform offerings across the full employee lifecycle. Acquisition deals discussed include Venture Solution/Distro, Remote/Atlas, Dayforce/Agent Noon, Docebo/365 Talent. ↪️ Eightfold faces legal scrutiny over data disclosure requirements, raising questions about how AI systems use external data sources and what organizations must reveal to candidates about data scraping. ↪️ The recent issues around ICE tactics demonstrate the importance of evaluating potential risks of business decisions involving employee training, hiring incentives, overarching policies, and even language used in communications.  All can impact employee safety and shape organizational culture, particularly in times of rapid change. ↪️ Three-quarters of CEOs report being the primary decision maker on AI strategy and 50%  believe their job depends on demonstrable ROI from AI use, creating pressure that may lead to rushed implementation without thorough evaluation and risk assessment. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Chris Taylor, Founder and CEO of Actionable.co, break down why most training programs fail to create lasting change and what actually works. The conversation explores the gap between understanding new concepts and caring enough to apply them, revealing that most organizations spend 80% of their time on content when they should be dedicating three times more attention to helping people find their own reasons for change.  Chris shares data from over 9,000 learning programs showing that simple tools like accountability partners can triple the likelihood of sustained behavior change. He shares practical strategies for designing sessions that stick, from cohort structures to permission slips for inevitable lapses. Key points covered include: ↪️ Effective learning requires a minimum 3:1 ratio of context to content, allowing participants time to work through the "so what" and "now what" rather than just consuming information. ↪️ Accountability partners increase the likelihood of sustained change by three times when participants check in at least twice after a session, yet remain underutilized despite being free and easy to implement. ↪️ Changing one behavior at a time produces better results than attempting multiple shifts simultaneously, with cohorts under 10 participants showing higher success rates for lasting change. ↪️ AI will commoditize the "how" of learning while human facilitation remains critical for helping individuals discover why they care enough to change their behavior. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Chris Taylor LinkedIn Actionable.co LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson kick off the conversation with major acquisition news reshaping the HR tech market, including Coursera's plan to acquire Udemy for $2.5 billion and ServiceNow's $7.75 billion acquisition of ARMIS. They cover significant leadership changes across multiple companies, discuss the just-announced Department of Labor funding for apprenticeships in high-growth industries, and share insights on actual use of AI.  The hosts also highlight the next HR Systems Survey, which will launch on April 15th for distribution partners and on April 29th for the general public. Key points covered include: ↪️ Coursera's $2.5 billion deal to acquire Udemy signals consolidation in corporate learning content; the combined company will focus on AI training and the corporate market. ServiceNow's $7.75 billion acquisition of Armis addresses critical security needs as organizations navigate the bring-your-own-AI trend, asset discovery, and data access controls across expanding tech ecosystems. The conversation also covers Phenom’s acquisition of Included AI and the acquisition of Ethan Allen HR Services by G&A Partners. ↪️ The Department of Labor recently announced it is allocating $98 million through its YouthBuild Program to support pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries such as  construction, manufacturing, IT, and healthcare. Funded projects are intended to provide education, occupational skills training and employment services to young people ages 16 to 24 and strengthen connections to registered apprenticeship programs.   ↪️ Leadership changes at Culture Amp and Oyster position both companies for growth, with founders transitioning to board chairman roles.  They also discuss major executive changes at isolved and Atana.   ↪️ The newly introduced Claude Cowork, an agentic AI tool built into the Claude desktop app, automates complex, multi-step tasks for non-coders.  The hosts discuss how such tools are enabling workers to “collaborate” with AI as a coworker, greatly expanding AI’s practical use. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this special episode* of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Pragya Gupta, Chief Operating Officer at isolved discuss how HR leaders are navigating AI adoption and workforce planning in 2026. The conversation covers findings from isolved's HR Leaders Report, which surveyed over 2,000 organizations, revealing that 63% are experiencing AI disruption while 51% struggle with data scattered across multiple systems.  Pragya explains how HR is moving from reactive to anticipatory operations, using data and AI to predict workforce needs rather than simply responding to them. The discussion addresses practical challenges including payroll accuracy, benefits selection complexity, and the growing skills intelligence gap that threatens retention and competitiveness. Key points covered include: ↪️ HR leaders using AI for recruitment are facing a new challenge where candidates also use AI to optimize resumes, requiring smarter filtering systems that learn from past hiring decisions to identify the best matches while eliminating bias. ↪️ Payroll remains a top stress point for practitioners, with AI-powered "perfect payroll" capabilities now providing proactive notifications about errors before processing, such as incomplete direct deposits or incorrect employee classifications. ↪️ Benefits selection has emerged as the second leading reason employees leave organizations, driving demand for AI assistants that recommend plans based on individual circumstances, family situations, and life stages during open enrollment. ↪️ Two-thirds of organizations are currently seeking new HR systems to address data fragmentation, with HR leaders reporting they lack the analytical capabilities needed for strategic decision-making despite increased pressure from CEOs to guide AI-driven workforce changes. See what HR leaders are prioritizing this year: https://isolved.co/3LgNlto *This podcast episode is sponsored by isolved Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Pragya Gupta LinkedIn isolved LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss  acquisition activity across global payroll and identity security markets, highlighting how services and compliance expertise are driving these deals. They analyze new research showing that executives use AI at nearly double the use rate of frontline employees and highlight why these gaps affect adoption strategies.  The conversation includes workforce planning insights from Sapient's collaboration with Anaplan, the SHRM discrimination lawsuit verdict, and regulatory changes affecting AI and workplace equity programs. Key points covered include: ↪️ UKG's acquisition of Inova Payroll expands managed services for frontline workers, while ServiceNow's $1 billion purchase of Veza positions the company in the growing battle over identity security and access control.  Other companies making or finalizing acquisitions include European companies Sajid and SDWorks and Findem, which sells an AI talent platform.. ↪️ Research from both Dayforce and Sapient Insights confirms a big gap in AI use;  while 80 to 87% of executives are using AI tools, just 27to 41% of individual contributors are using them. The hosts discuss what this means for successful implementations. ↪️ Team and Time, a new offering out of UKG Labs, is designed to especially meet the sophisticated and complex scheduling requirements for healthcare workforces.  The platform reflects an overall market need for advanced time and attendance solutions for diversely skilled workforces.   ↪️ In other news: The jury verdict awarding $11.5 million in the SHRM discrimination lawsuit raises questions about organizational culture and compensation structures.  In the 10 years since Gravity Payments implemented a $70,000 (now $80,000) minimum wage for all employees, the company is reporting 650% of revenue growth. The hosts reference two new complimentary resources for audiences: a just-published white paper, “From Headcount to High Impact,” that discusses how C-suite leaders can use workforce planning for strategic, long-term planning (https://www.anaplan.com/resources/research-report/sapient-c-suite-guide-to-using-workforce-planning/#); and an ADP-hosted webinar, “HR + IT: Empowering Data Integration in the Age of AI,” with IT analyst Tim Crawford and Shivang Patel, ADP chief product officer, on ways to resolve data integration challenges and how generative and agentic AI can support business transformation and differentiation (https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5113285/55BFAEF63EFBA62A329A708BCAC81A52).  Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this fan-favorite episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper along with Susan Richards and guests Tee Thorsen, LAITHOS Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Mary Ellen Clagett, LAITHOS Leadership Catalyst and Co-Founder, discuss how leadership and organizational culture function as inseparable forces that determine business outcomes. The conversation addresses why 60% of employees still hide their authentic selves at work and how this disconnect undermines sustainable results.  They explore the elements that make culture "adaptive" - including psychological safety, learning mindsets, and the ability to balance stability with flexibility - while providing practical frameworks for building trust and leading change effectively. They also introduce a trust equation that helps leaders assess their own trustworthiness and communication impact. Key points covered include: ↪️Organizations can have the best strategy, but without a supportive culture that embraces change, it's like running new software on outdated hardware - results will be limited and unsustainable. ↪️ Trustworthiness is measured by (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) ÷ Self-Orientation, where leaders must demonstrate expertise, follow through on commitments, and create emotional safety while keeping personal agendas in check. ↪️Leaders must adapt their communication style for different audiences - teams, peers, boards, stakeholders - while maintaining authenticity, and must recognize that effective communication includes listening as much as speaking. ↪️Leading change requires radical honesty about impacts, including job eliminations, so employees can make informed decisions, and success depends on engaging both formal leaders and informal influencers throughout the organization. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards LinkedIn Tracey (Tee) Thorsen LinkedIn Mary Ellen Clagett LinkedIn

In this fan-favorite episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech initially posted after the HR Tech conference, Susan Richards, Teri Zipper, and Cliff Stevenson explore the disconnect between AI availability and actual adoption, revealing that 90% of professionals still don't use AI tools at work despite consumer-level familiarity. They discuss why major learning platform vendors were absent from the HR Tech conference floor even as spending data shows learning as a top investment category. The episode explores how HR technology is evolving into workforce technology as vendors integrate HR, finance, and IT capabilities into single platforms. Key points covered include: ↪️ Survey data reveals overall HR tech spending continues to decline with the exception of learning technology, yet several major learning vendors were notably absent from this year's HR Tech conference floor. ↪️ Organizations have acquired AI technology but face adoption barriers rooted in change management; while employees are showing measured excitement, they can be overwhelmed by implementation issues. ↪️ The boundaries between HR, finance, and IT are dissolving as vendors like Rippling and HiBob acquire capabilities across functions, pointing toward workforce technology ecosystems rather than siloed HR systems. ↪️ The most successful AI applications in HR remain low-risk tasks such as writing job descriptions; higher-stakes uses such as the creation of skills taxonomies require human oversight at multiple checkpoints. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Susan Richards LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest David Noe, HR Manager with Payroll Partners and host of the SpeakEasy HR podcast, discuss the often-overlooked elements of employee experience that directly impact retention. The conversation examines why clarity and belonging can matter more than perks, how technology platforms can make or break trust, and why treating employee relationships as timelines instead of human connections creates retention problems. Key points covered include: ↪️ Employee experience gaps often stem from poor clarity and lack of belonging rather than insufficient benefits or perks. Small moments of recognition and genuine check-ins drive retention more than assumed cultural strengths. ↪️ Systems like payroll platforms directly affect trust levels within organizations. When basic functions fail, employees lose confidence in leadership regardless of other positive workplace factors. ↪️ Culture requires active maintenance through discipline, not accident. Leaders must establish clear non-negotiable values, implement simple reinforcement systems, and provide leadership development at every level to scale effectively. ↪️ Communication quality matters more than volume. Leaders need to explain the “why” behind decisions and use multiple channels to reach different employees rather than relying on single methods or assuming AI will solve communication problems. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  David Noe LinkedIn Payroll Partners, Inc LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss Workday's acquisition of Pipedream and what Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers mean for HR technology integration and AI agent security. The conversation covers everything from EU pay equity reporting requirements to why only 12% of employees feel they receive adequate AI training. Major industry moves include Zoom's acquisition of BrightHire, UKG's new leadership additions, and why Lattice is exiting the payroll business after a brief attempt. Key points covered include: ↪️ Workday acquired Pipedream, an MCP server platform with 3,000+ pre-built connections, to enable faster AI agent integration after determining internal development would take over a year. ↪️EU pay equity regulations require immediate reporting capability where employees can request detailed comparative pay data within their organization, with compliance fines starting for organizations more than 5% out of alignment. ↪️ Only 12% of employees report receiving adequate AI training, while 64% of organizations have no guidelines or policies in place for AI use, creating a critical gap between AI investment and effective adoption. ↪️ Major market activity includes Zoom acquiring BrightHire for AI-powered recruiting, Sage acquiring Criterion for cloud payroll expansion, and Lattice exiting the HRS and payroll business after recognizing the maintenance and compliance complexity. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Bonnie Tinder, Founder and CEO at Raven Intelligence, explore how too many HR tech projects fail not because of the software itself, but because of poor implementation planning and partner selection. Bonnie shares how to evaluate system integrators, spot red flags during the selection process, and avoid the scope creep that derails projects. The conversation covers practical strategies for preparing your organization, managing change, and setting up projects for success from day one. Key points covered include: ↪️ Great software means nothing without proper implementation. Projects fail when organizations treat implementations as simple software installations rather than business transformations that require process re-engineering. ↪️  Evaluate multiple implementation partners independently rather than accepting your software vendor's recommendation, checking customer reviews for recent projects in your industry and examining patterns around change orders and budget overruns. ↪️  Start with clear business objectives and success metrics, then work backwards to build your project plan. This clarity helps you communicate effectively with partners and resist scope creep that accumulates. ↪️ Be transparent about organizational challenges and outdated processes from the start, because what you hide in the closet will surface during implementation when you're paying consulting rates to address problems you could have resolved earlier. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Bonnie Tinder LinkedIn Raven Intelligence LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Susan Richards, Teri Zipper, and Cliff Stevenson,  discuss how HR technology is shifting from functional systems to workforce tech that connects HR, IT, and finance. The conversation covers what's driving AI adoption beyond the hype, why learning platform vendors were notably absent from the show floor, and how companies are struggling to move from having AI tools to actually getting people to use them.  They also explore the gap between executive expectations and organizational readiness, sharing examples from their research about what works when employees interact with technology. Key points covered include: ↪️ The biggest challenge with AI isn't the technology itself but change management and getting people past fear to adoption. Organizations report having the tech but struggle with helping employees see AI as a work partner rather than just another tool to learn. ↪️ HR technology is blending into workforce tech as vendors like Rippling combine HR and IT while HiBob acquired Mosaic to add finance capabilities. This reflects a shift away from siloed functions toward cross-functional teams focused on business outcomes. ↪️The research shows a disconnect between where organizations say they're investing (learning platforms ranked high for spending) and who showed up at the conference (major learning vendors were absent). Meanwhile, newer players like Rippling and HiBob expanded their presence significantly. ↪️ Companies using AI to write job descriptions while forbidding candidates from using AI on resumes highlights the confusion around AI adoption. The most successful implementations focus on specific use cases like anomaly detection and workflow improvements rather than wholesale process changes. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  Susan Richards LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Sofia Whelan, Managing Partner at HorizonHuman, explore how HR can lead during AI adoption. The conversation addresses the gap between AI hype and real-world application, focusing on workforce planning, transparency, and solving actual business problems. Key points covered include: ↪️ HR must lead workforce planning by identifying which tasks AI will handle and which roles require human skills, then invest in upskilling employees for work that only humans can do. ↪️ Start with AI already embedded in your HR technology stack rather than buying new tools - focus on solving specific business problems through user research and testing. ↪️ HR should remain the caretaker of the human workforce and organizational culture, working closely with the CTO rather than merging these roles into one position. ↪️ Build trust through transparency about job impacts and enable change at the team level where people can experiment with AI and share practical use cases. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Sofia Whelan Linkedin HorizonHuman Linkedin

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson return with a jam-packed, catch-up episode discussing the wave of strategic acquisitions, the growing importance of viewing compliance as a talent strategy, and the rise of "bring your own AI" in organizations. This conversation also explores how vendors are solving real business problems while HR professionals are navigating rapid scaling and frontline worker challenges.  Key points covered include: ↪️In the market’s ongoing quest to build comprehensive solutions, ADP acquires compensation management platform Pequity, Sage buys Criterion HCM for compliance capabilities, and Learning Pool picks up authoring tool Elucidat. ↪️ Organizations are turning regulatory requirements into cost savings and talent advantages. Stacey and Cliff discuss Sapient’s research focus on compliance and how they’re seeing examples of companies leveraging comprehensive compliance solutions into business and employee value.    ↪️ Sapient’s research reveals that while only 22% of survey participants report using AI-supported enterprise systems, significantly more employees are bringing personal AI tools to work.  This “BYO AI” practice creates security, privacy, and policy challenges for HR leaders. ↪️ OpenAI data shows 73% of usage is for personal tasks rather than work-related functions, raising questions about whether AI tools are delivering on their promised business value or simply making individual tasks easier. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper along with guest Craig Friedman, Talent and Skills Transformation Leader at St. Charles Consulting Group, unpack what enterprise skills really means for organizations today. Craig explains how skills-based talent management represents a data-driven transformation that moves HR from headcount management to capability management, enabling companies to understand not just who they employ but what their workforce can actually deliver. The conversation also explores the practical challenges organizations face when implementing skills strategies, from avoiding the "boiling the ocean" problem to securing strong business sponsors who can drive meaningful change.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Enterprise skills transform HR systems from person-level tracking to granular capability data that links across job architectures, talent marketplaces, workforce planning, and development programs. ↪️ AI makes skills-based talent management possible by handling the complexity of tracking and matching skills data that would otherwise overwhelm traditional HR systems. ↪️ Organizations should start with focused business problems rather than enterprise-wide implementations, building use cases that generate measurable top-line or bottom-line value before expanding. ↪️ The biggest implementation mistakes include over-engineering taxonomies without clear business use cases and launching skills initiatives as HR housekeeping exercises rather than business-sponsored strategic projects. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Craig Friedman LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson interview guest George LaRocque, WorkTech’s Founder and Chief Analyst, to discuss the state of the HR tech market and where it's heading. The conversation explores how investment activity, market data, and adoption trends come together to paint a realistic picture of the industry. George shares insights on tracking growth capital and M&A activity across 60+ HR tech subcategories, while the team discusses how practitioners can use different data sources to make informed decisions about technology purchases, vendor stability, and budget planning. Key points covered include: ↪️ The HR tech investment ecosystem is larger than commonly reported, with 220+ registered investors at HR Tech 2024 alone; approximately 300 to 400 people attended the conference because of investment interests. ↪️ Enterprise HR platforms will increasingly operate behind the scenes while AI-powered chat interfaces become the primary user experience within the next 2 to 3 years. ↪️ Performance management is positioned as the next major area for disruption, with agentic AI enabling real-time feedback.  Use will come from manager-led adoption rather than traditional HR-driven implementation. ↪️ The market faces a critical juncture between open, integrated ecosystems and closed vendor marketplaces that could limit interoperability and increase lock-in risks. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn  George Laroque LinkedIn WorkTech LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Libby DeLucien, Founder of WootRecruit, discuss common hiring mistakes, the role of AI in recruiting, and why companies need to rethink their approach to attract quality candidates. The conversation covers how personal development directly impacts leadership effectiveness and why treating employees as valuable assets requires a human-centered recruiting process. Key points covered include: ↪️ Traditional hiring processes fail because they're designed around business convenience rather than candidate experience, leading to ghosting and poor-quality hires. ↪️ While AI can speed up certain recruiting tasks, removing the human element from hiring risks losing valuable candidates, especially when an employee is often worth more  than a single customer in terms of revenue generation, depending on the business.. ↪️ Personal development directly impacts leadership effectiveness. Working on your own mindset, health, and energy management creates a leader others naturally want to follow without micromanagement. ↪️ Quality applicants for entry-level positions are hired within 6-8 days, not the 45-day industry average, leaving companies with slow processes facing chronic understaffing and lost revenue. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Libby DeLucien LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss why compliance has become the surprising number one topic in HR technology, exploring how AI is changing verification processes and I-9 management. They cover major market moves including Qualtrics' $6.7 billion acquisition of Press Ganey and break down Dayforce's latest product announcements at their user conference.  Key points covered include: ↪️ HR leaders are reassessing compliance technology and exploring how AI can automate compliance management, with particular focus on I-9 verification and ensuring interview candidates match actual hires. ↪️ Qualtrics acquires Press Ganey for $6.7 billion, demonstrating that the ability to collect, analyze, and present healthcare benchmarking data commands premium valuations. ↪️ Dayforce announces new compliance AI assist tool, collaborative AI workspace environment launching Q1 2026, and the Agent Noon acquisition bringing strategic workforce planning with financial modeling into the platform. ↪️ UKG's "When Work Works, Everything Works" rebrand focusing on frontline workers, Workday's Middle East expansion through Dubai, and emerging pay transparency solutions from PayScale and Workday. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Dennis Hill, Founder of Sagacity, LLC, and Chairman/President/CEO at IHRIM, explore Web3, blockchain, and distributed ledger technologies that promise to solve the security problems that have plagued HR systems for 60 years. The conversation covers data ownership rights, the shift toward crypto-based financial systems, and the competitive advantage of same-day pay solutions.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Blockchain and DAG (directed acyclic graph) architecture provide one-in-15-trillion security against data breaches, eliminating the need for add-on security patches that have failed organizations for 60 years. ↪️ Employees should own their personal data on distributed ledgers rather than having it stored on corporate systems, requiring federal legislation to establish clear data ownership rights. ↪️ HR tech vendors currently lack substantive Web3 roadmaps and are simply patching AI onto existing systems rather than embedding it as core architecture. ↪️ Same-day pay is now a competitive advantage in recruitment, with multiple vendors offering solutions that allow employees to access earned wages immediately rather than waiting for traditional pay cycles. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Dennis Hill LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss the reality of AI adoption in HR, exploring the "Bring Your Own AI" phenomenon where 81% of HR professionals are using AI tools but only 14% have company-paid access. They also examine how recent policy changes, including H1-B visa cost increases to $100,000, will disproportionately impact small and medium businesses. Key points covered include: ↪️ Workday acquired Sana for enterprise knowledge/learning capabilities, iCIMS bought Apli for frontline worker recruitment automation, and Nayya acquired North Star to expand into financial wellness. ↪️ While only 31% of organizations use embedded HRMS AI, 81% of HR professionals are personally using AI tools for work tasks like presentations and emails, with most using free versions that create potential security risks. ↪️ New $100,000 cost for H1-B visas will disproportionately affect small businesses, potentially accelerating the trend of service-based companies moving operations outside the US. ↪️ HR technology is moving toward integrated "cluster" systems with bi-directional data transfer, blurring lines between HR, finance, and IT systems rather than standalone point solutions. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper along with Susan Richards and guests Tee Thorsen, LAITHOS Co-Founder and Managing Partner, and Mary Ellen Clagett, LAITHOS Leadership Catalyst and Co-Founder and Managing Partner, explore how leadership directly shapes organizational culture and why both elements are critical for driving sustainable business results, especially during rapid technological and market changes.  They discuss what makes culture "adaptive" - including psychological safety, learning mindsets, and resilience - while addressing the communication challenges leaders face in building trust across their organizations.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Leaders must focus on being trustworthy through the equation C+R+I/SO (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy divided by Self-Orientation), demonstrating expertise, consistency, and genuine care while keeping personal agendas in check. ↪️ Organizational culture functions like a hidden operating system - you can have the best strategy, but without supportive culture, it's like running new software on outdated hardware and simply won't work effectively. ↪️  Successful organizations cultivate curiosity, psychological safety, learning mindsets, and the ability to balance stability with flexibility. ↪️ Leaders must be "multilingual" in their communication approach while maintaining authenticity, and the medium of communication matters as much as the message itself. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Susan Richards LinkedIn Tracey (Tee) Thorsen LinkedIn Mary Ellen Clagett LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss Anaplan's purchase of AI-powered supply chain company Syrup Technologies and Gusto's acquisition of 401K provider Guideline, alongside significant product launches including Salary.com's multilayered AI compensation suite.  They analyze OrgView data revealing that Fortune 500 companies avoiding layoffs outperformed those making cuts by 4-5%, while discussing the challenges facing OpenAI's proposed LinkedIn competitor.  Key points covered include: ↪️ News from ADP’s Innovation Day shows that the company’s AI investments are paying off.  ADP embeds AI assistants throughout its platform at no extra charge, contrasting with 50 to 60% of HR vendors charging additional fees for AI features.  ADP’s AI assistants focus on compliance, payroll, and auditing applications. ADP’s HCM suite Lyric is also gaining traction. ↪️ OrgView data shows Fortune 500 companies that maintained stable workforces outperformed those reducing workforces by 4 to 5% across revenue, productivity, and other business metrics, challenging the conventionally held benefits of workforce reduction. ↪️ Salary.com just launched its new CompAnalyst AI Suite, designed to give employers simplified and more powerful ways to manage compensation based on detailed and deep talent data with multilayered AI agents giving users the ability to analyze data from many different perspectives with complete transparency.   ↪️ OpenAI's proposed hiring platform, intended to take on LinkedIn, faces the same obstacles that derailed previous attempts by Microsoft, Meta, and Google; the B2B market with its complex sales processes, compliance laws, and regulatory requirements is much different than the consumer market. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this special episode* of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Jamie Aitken, Vice President of HR Transformation at Betterworks, discuss the current state of AI deployment in HR and its intersection with strategic performance management. While many employees use ChatGPT individually, organizations show limited AI integration within their HR technology stack, with HR departments often excluded from enterprise AI planning discussions.  The conversation explores how AI can transform performance management through skills inference, data-driven calibration, and real-time workforce planning.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Many HR departments find themselves excluded from organizational AI planning, missing the opportunity to shape employee experience and change management around AI adoption. ↪️ Organizations are universally moving toward continuous feedback models that focus on growth, collaboration, and real-time coaching rather than annual review cycles. ↪️ AI can analyze performance conversations, peer feedback, and project outcomes to automatically identify employee capabilities and quickly assemble teams for emerging business needs. ↪️ HR must shift from managing compliance and completion rates to designing employee experiences that drive business outcomes like faster goal completion, higher retention, and increased innovation. *This episode is sponsored by Betterworks  Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Jamie Aitken LinkedIn Betterworks Instagram | LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss Thoma Bravo's $12.3 billion acquisition of Dayforce and Workday's back-to-back purchases of AI companies Paradox and Flowise. They also examine contrasting research on AI adoption, with Goldman Sachs predicting minimal workforce disruption while MIT reports that 95% of organizations see zero ROI from generative AI.  Key points covered include: ↪️ Thoma Bravo takes Dayforce private for $12.3 billion (32% premium), while Workday acquires AI talent acquisition leader Paradox and low-code AI agent builder Flowise. ↪️ Discussion of conflicting studies showing 95% of organizations getting zero ROI from generative AI, contrasted with continued massive investments and the hosts' data showing strategic, tactical AI adoption in HR. ↪️Goldman Sachs study suggests AI will only temporarily impact 2.5% of US jobs, contrasting sharply with MIT findings that 95% of organizations report zero return on AI investments despite continued billion-dollar funding rounds. ↪️ Wave of executive appointments from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and other major tech companies signals HR tech's growing prominence, though hosts warn newcomers about HR's unique compliance and regulatory complexities. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper along with Stacey Harris welcome guest RD Whitney, Chief Operating Officer for The CFO Leadership Council, to explore the growing convergence between finance and HR functions. This conversation highlights how CFOs are increasingly involved in HR technology purchasing, particularly in mid-market companies, while AI adoption is creating new challenges around leadership and decision-making responsibilities. Key points covered include: ↪️ Finance leaders are now heavily involved in decisions around total rewards, compensation, benefits, and employee engagement tools, particularly because these areas directly impact productivity and bottom-line results. ↪️ The implementation of AI technologies is creating confusion about ownership, with CEOs assigning leadership roles differently across organizations, making collaboration between C-Suite execs more critical than ever. ↪️ Organizations are moving away from department-specific technology purchases toward more integrated, enterprise-level decisions that require input from multiple C-suite leaders. ↪️ With the rapid pace of technological change and the potential for significant business disruption, the stakes for making the right technology investments have increased dramatically, requiring more careful evaluation and cross-functional input. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2023-24 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn RD Whitney LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss  significant merger and acquisition activity, including SAP's acquisition of Smart Recruiters and the legal implications of Workday's HiredScore integration amid ongoing bias litigation. The conversation also explores key executive moves, industry recognition, and the broader implications of AI adoption in HR while addressing concerns about data reliability in the current market environment. Key points covered include: ↪️ Sapient Insights Group's annual survey reached over 10,000 participants from 4,300+ organizations (30% increase from previous year), with new UX and vendor satisfaction scores for AI tools and contingent workforce management. ↪️ SAP acquired Smart Recruiters to strengthen their mid-market presence and gain AI talent, while neo gov was purchased by private equity firms, signaling increased consolidation in specialized HR sectors. ↪️ Federal judge ruled that Workday must provide customer lists who used HiredScore's AI features for hiring to determine if bias affected hiring decisions, creating potential compliance concerns for current customers. ↪️ Despite job market challenges, HR tech funding remains strong with $35M raised by Sparrow (AI leave management) and $50M by Ashby (recruiting), plus 74 vendors supporting the annual research survey. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2023-24 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn

In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Teri Zipper and guest Brett Ungashick, Founder and CEO of Outsail, discuss one of the most challenging aspects of HR leadership: selecting and buying the right software solutions. They explore common pitfalls that derail software purchases and strategies for running a thorough, stakeholder-friendly evaluation. This conversation covers how to move beyond flashy demos and sales presentations to focus on what really matters for your organization's long-term success.  Key points covered include: ↪️ How organizations often fall in love with vendors based on charismatic salespeople and polished presentations, at the risk of ignoring other solutions that might be better suited for their needs.. ↪️ The challenge of balancing input from multiple stakeholders without creating "too many voices" that slow progress, and strategies for organizing core project teams versus secondary stakeholder groups. ↪️ The difficulty buyers face in comparing vendor proposals due to inconsistent pricing models, hidden costs, and the importance of understanding total cost of ownership beyond initial software fees. ↪️  How billion-dollar software companies often control the selection process through their sales methodology, and why buyers need to take ownership by setting their own agendas, scorecards, and evaluation criteria. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2023-24 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Teri Zipper Instagram |  Twitter |  LinkedIn  Brett Ungashick LinkedIn Outsail LinkedIn

In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson discuss topics ranging from AI system failures and labor market shifts to an increased vendor focus absence and leave management, compensation, and benefits. They also discuss sources HR leaders should be considering for decision-making data and a satirical essay that touches on some truths about HR analysts.   Key points covered include: ↪️ To follow the Grok debacle, the hosts discuss research showing  AI systems can subliminally pass along biases even when training on neutral numerical data and what happens in multi-agent system failures. The bottom line is that AI systems and agents require ongoing maintenance, careful and audited training, and close oversight.   ↪️ Layoffs have reached their highest levels since 2020, with delayed effects finally showing in latest unemployment data.  The hosts discuss other data sources organizations can leverage for accurate information and workforce planning in addition to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ↪️ In vendor news, Payscale just announced a partnership with WorldatWork, which will give all Payscale users WorldatWork membership benefits, including access to its education and certification programs and other resources about compensation and total rewards. Alight announced a  ↪️ Sage acquiring Fyle signals a broader trend of pure HR platforms integrating finance elements to create more connected systems, particularly beneficial for SMBs seeking streamlined employee-centric financial processes. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2023-24 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn