Why AI Is Changing HR Faster Than Anyone Expected

In this episode we talk about HR tech, automation, employee experience, sentiment, and workflow design. We sat down with Hubert from Quest Diagnostics live at Oracle AI World and got into the guts of what 56,000 employees really need from HR systems today. This one hits everything from AI-powered scheduling to performance reviews to the messy, very human side of employee sentiment. It’s practical, honest, and grounded in what real teams face every day. Here's what we covered: AI is finally giving HR a chance to get ahead instead of catching up. Employees aren’t reading PDFs anymore. They’re asking questions and expecting answers instantly. Quest’s 56,000 employees create huge pressure on ticketing, sentiment, and service quality. Performance reviews suffer from human bias and memory. AI fixes that. Scheduling at scale is broken without automation and rules-based fairness. Frontline teams need systems that respect their time and availability. Employee surveys every quarter will reveal the real impact of automation next year. Change management matters more in HR than almost any other function. Healthcare adds a deeper mission layer that shapes how tech gets adopted. Sentiment analysis during support conversations is an untapped opportunity. Managers with 30 direct reports need automation so they can actually lead. AI is becoming a second brain for service centers, not a replacement. This episode was recorded live at Oracle AI World 2025 as part of a leadership series defining the world of work and AI Chapters:00:24 Live at Oracle AI World01:01 Event energy and why this crowd feels different01:35 Hubert talks about why AI feels like a turning point02:15 Why HR is finally ready for real change02:56 What Hubert does at Quest03:28 Rolling out new HR modules and AI tools04:26 The shift from PDFs to conversational workflows05:10 How employees actually search for answers now06:24 Paystub agents, call centers, and reducing support load07:24 Tracking sentiment and service quality08:30 Help desk automation and ticket summaries10:07 The performance review problem11:04 How AI can remove bias and jog managers’ memory12:30 Oracle scheduling rollout and why it matters13:54 Shift fairness and hourly worker expectations16:20 Engagement, surveys, and 2025 expectations17:56 Culture, values, and healthcare’s mission19:06 Why speed and accuracy matter in patient-facing work19:55 Wrapping with humor and German honesty Connect with us William Tincup LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tincup/ Ryan Leary LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanleary/ Connect with WRKdefined on your favorite social network Site: http://www.wrkdefined.com TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wrkdefined LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wrkdefined Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WRKdefined/ Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/WRKdefined Substack: https://wrkdefined.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices