This week I have two guests on the podcast: Jason Walker and Rey Ramirez, the innovative minds behind Thrive HR Consulting. Jason has a background in re-engineering workforces and Rey comes from the world of mergers and acquisitions, together they are at the vanguard of using AI to streamline HR.
We dive deep into the intersection of artificial intelligence and human resources, exploring cutting-edge tools that are reshaping how we approach everything from employee engagement surveys to recruitment processes. Imagine AI providing real-time data analysis and creating interactive survey experiences – it's happening now, and we're discussing the implications.
If you’re looking for actionable insights on responsibly harnessing AI - this is the place.
Is your leadership ever-evolving? The way we work is…
Why you should listen: employee engagement’s new frontier
Using AI to evaluate your corporate culture
We explore using AI to free up leadership capacity
Corporate cultures will evolve to encompass AI ethics and security
Leadership strategies for implementing AI effectively
Shaping a leadership philosophy for the scope and scale of AI
Take action
Work through the hypotheticals of AI before doing anything, such as retrenching and redeploying people
Make sure you have your guardrails and policies in place; protect your data and IP
Find out what is out there, look at strategic partnerships to bridge the AI divide.
Tip of the week
People Stuff: Beyond Personality Problems and Advanced Handbook for leadership. The first chapter in there is called The Practice of Perspective, and it has some very practical and useful tools and frameworks to help you think about the future and how to make sense of what's going on.
Other resources:
David Mattin’s New World Same Humans blog
Singularity snapshots
Podcast: Moonshots With Peter Diamandis
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About Walker & Ramirez
In 2020 Rey Ramirez (on right) and Jason Walker founded Thrive HR Consulting, an Austin, TX and Denver-CO, based HR advisory firm that seeks to augment HR needs for organisations, providing fractional HR services for leading, managing, or providing guidance in all facets of HR. Thrive provides a unique model that is helpful for companies that don't need full-time support but need expertise and guidance in the areas of executive coaching, mergers and acquisitions, employee relations, diversity and inclusion and belonging, compliance, payroll, global HR expertise, talent acquisition, and digital workforce transformation.
Rey Ramirez is a versatile HR Leader with entrepreneurial passion, diverse industry experience, and a strong track record of success in HR. Jason Walker is an HR industry veteran, talent advisor and global speaker helping businesses transform their people practices and policies in the rapidly changing world at work.
Key moments
Planet Human: Reflecting on We Work’s Adam Newman’s erratic journey now he’s in the news again wanting to buy back his co-working business.
Planet Zoë: As you listen to this, Zoe is busy bushwalking the Australian Alpine Walking Trail, a 15 day hike of 240km! While that’s happening there’s goodies galore for those who pre-order Olympus Bound - get the paperback or the eBook on Amazon (please email your receipt to get your goodies).
Introduction of Jason Walker and Rey Ramirez (00:03:56) Zoe introduces Jason Walker and Rey Ramirez, co-founders of Thrive HR Consulting, and their expertise in AI tools for HR processes.
Getting Started in HR Processes with AI (00:05:03) Jason and Rey talk about their backgrounds and transition into consulting, focusing on innovation and client satisfaction.
The Latest Tools and Strategies in HR and AI (00:08:27) Discussion on the current excitement around AI in HR and the challenges of implementing AI tools in organisations.
Interactive Employee Engagement Surveys with AI (00:16:07) The benefits of AI-enabled surveys, including interactive and empathetic interactions with employees, and the potential for use in various organisational functions.
Security Concerns Related to AI Voice Technology (00:20:52) Discussion about security issues, including the potential for deepfake voice cloning and the need for robust security features in AI tools.
Hurdles and Considerations for AI Implementation (00:21:55) Obstacles and considerations for leaders when selecting and implementing AI tools, including planning and ethical use.
AI Strategy and Employee Impact (00:22:13) Planning an AI strategy, ethical considerations, and addressing employee displacement concerns.
Guardrails and HR Leadership in AI Implementation (00:24:30) The importance of setting policies, piloting AI tools, and HR leadership in implementing AI for efficiency and profitability.
Independent Review and Certification for AI Tools (00:33:44) The need for independent review and certification of AI tools to ensure ethical and responsible use.
HR Leaders and AI Technology (00:44:29) The importance of having an honest discussion with the c-suite about AI and building a strategy around AI technology.
Considerations Before Implementing AI (00:46:43) Advice for HR leaders on hypothetical scenarios, guardrails, and staying informed about technology trends.
Future of Leadership and Technology (00:48:21) Recommendations for blogs, podcasts, and discussions on the intersection between technology and humans in the workplace.
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About your host, Canberra leadership expert Zoë Routh:
Zoë Routh is a leadership futurist, podcaster, and multiple award-winning author. She works with leaders and teams to navigate future horizons.
She has worked with individuals and teams internationally and in Australia since 1987. From wild Canadian rivers to the Australian Outback, and the Boardroom jungles, Zoë is an adventurist! She facilitates strategy and culture sessions with audacious teams.
Zoë's fourth leadership book, People Stuff - Beyond Personality Problems: An advanced handbook for leadership, won the Book of the Year at the Australian Business Book Awards in 2020. Her fifth book is a near future science fiction dystopian novel, The Olympus Project.
Zoë is the producer of the Zoë Routh Leadership Podcast, dedicated to asking “What if…?” and sharing Big Ideas on the Future of Leadership.
Zoë is an outdoor adventurist and enjoys telemark skiing, has run six marathons, is a one-time belly-dancer, has survived cancer, and loves hiking in the high country. She is married to a gorgeous Aussie and is a self-confessed dark chocolate addict.