People and Strategy

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Dawn Fay, operational president at Robert Half to unpack what the firm’s 2026 Salary Guide reveals about a cooling yet still competitive HR labor market. As wage growth moderates, Fay explores the growing tension between tighter budgets and rising expectations, where specialized skills in HR tech and analytics still command a premium. She helps to reframe the conversation beyond salary, urging HR and business leaders to rethink total rewards, flexibility, and the importance of “re-recruiting” their own teams to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving talent landscape. Pay Equity Toolkit: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/toolkits/achieving-pay-equity-strategic-toolkit-hr-professionals Pay Fact Sheet: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/fact-sheet/state-pay-transparency-laws-what-hr-needs-to-know Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we speak about the ROI of workplace connection with ⁠Tracy Brower⁠, vice president of workplace insights at Steelcase and author of Critical Connections. Brower shares research on the rising loneliness level and its impact on employee performance, retention, and wellbeing. She explores the role that HR leaders can play in intentionally designing systems that foster meaningful relationships — from manager development and mentoring to hybrid collaboration strategies. Brower also examines the risks of overreliance on technology, including AI, and makes the case that building authentic human connection is essential for both people and organizational success. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: ⁠https://shrm.co/nq47pr⁠ --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: ⁠https://shrm.co/coy63r⁠

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Jessica Kriegel, chief strategy officer at Culture Partners and author of Surrender to Lead. Drawing on her life’s deeply personal turning points, Kriegel reflects on how learning to surrender reshaped her approach to leadership, accountability, and organizational change. Through candid stories, she challenges traditional assumptions about transparency and examines why many leaders fall into the “action trap,” mistaking activity for progress. Kriegel makes the case that modern leadership is about shifting beliefs and creating the conditions for people to choose accountability, adapt to change, and perform at their best. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, talks with renowned business scholar and HR thought leader Dave Ulrich about how and why HR has reached a true inflection point. Ulrich reflects upon his decades of experience to explore how AI, workforce burnout, and rising expectations from boards are reshaping what organizations need from HR today. Their discussion dives deep into how HR leaders can move beyond employee experience alone to create measurable stakeholder value. Together, they reflect on the hard truths facing HR, and what it will take for the function to lead with credibility, evidence, and lasting impact. SHRM State of the Workplace 2026 Report 2026 CHRO Priorities and Perspectives Report Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we talk with Sabrina Minor, VP and chief people officer at George Washington University. Minor shares candid stories about leading HR in a complex, 24/7 campus environment, including how she’s modernizing performance management, succession planning, and workplace flexibility across a five-generation workforce. She also explores how AI and technology can reduce workload, strengthen trust, and inform strategy. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on leadership, influence, and the courage required to drive change in environments built to evolve slowly. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Drew Holler, former senior vice president of associate experience at Walmart, where he worked for 20 years in operations and supply chain. He’s now the CHRO at the homebuilder Lennar. Holler explains how a focus on process, technology, and first-principles helped Lennar centralize HR, streamline routine work, and redirect teams toward higher-value, “inspired” work. He reflects on how the homebuilder is navigating industry headwinds around affordability and labor supply, while strengthening leadership capabilities to improve retention and readying HR for an AI-enabled future. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Among SHRM’s 7 HR Trends of 2026 is workforce fragmentation, which is reshaping how organizations structure work, leadership, and culture. In this episode of People + Strategy, Nichole Oocumma, SHRM-SCP, draws on her experience leading HR across healthcare and public-sector organizations to make sense of this reality, exploring how remote, hybrid, and in-person models force difficult tradeoffs — and often create cultural tension. The conversation also examines how generational shifts and increasingly fragmented executive teams are changing the demands on today’s CHROs, requiring clearer messaging, tighter alignment, and more intentional leadership. 2026 HR Trends: Planning for Business Impact Data Brief: Understanding the Labor Shortage Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, John Bernatovicz, founder of Willory, explores what it means to run HR as a true business function. Bernatovicz shares his journey leading payroll and executive search to building a virtual HR consultancy shaped by personal experience and values. He challenges the view of HR as purely administrative, calling on leaders to adopt an owner’s mindset grounded in financial understanding and strategic thinking. Through real-world stories, John illustrates how HR can shape culture while driving measurable business results. Related Article: The CHRO of The Future Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Darnell Lee, CHRO for the Chief Administrative Officer, reveals how leading HR for the U.S. House of Representatives means mastering the art of adaptability. With shifting leadership every two years and priorities that can change overnight, Lee has built a culture grounded in agility, excellence, and trust. He shares how competency models, data-driven planning, and curiosity around AI are helping the House modernize its workforce strategy. Hear what it takes to guide organizations through constant change — balancing service, stability, and innovation in one of the most dynamic workplaces in government. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM sits down with Jackson O. Lynch, founder of The Talent Sherpa to discuss workplace safety. This special episode was recorded at the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where the duo discussed the concept of bringing your authentic self to work and why comfort is not the same thing as safety. Tune in for real world examples from the workplace, including why it’s worthwhile to forgo comfort to give employees feedback. For more information about the Visionaries Summit, visit https://shrm.org/enevents. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, Paul Theisen, founder of TAG CXO and veteran fractional CIO, unpacks what makes the CHRO–CIO partnership work. Plus, stay tuned for a trivia segment on CIO business trends. Theisen shares why the CIO and the CHRO are both customers and providers to one another — and how shared goals around people, systems, and culture can transform an organization. From AI’s rise to the push for tech fluency in HR, Theisen explains how collaboration and trust turn technology into a true driver of human potential. Related article: The CHRO & CIO: Reinventing Work for the AI Era: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/people-strategy/chro-cio-reinventing-work-ai-era SHRM study Emerging Technology Skills in HR mentioned: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/research/emerging-technology-skills-hr Gartner study mentioned: https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/ai-value Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, former Mastercard chief people officer Michael Fraccaro reveals what makes a strong relationship between a CHRO and the board. Drawing on his years leading through transformation, Fraccaro shares how trust, openness, and regular dialogue help the board understand what’s really happening inside the organization. Plus, a trivia segment on business trends regarding the CHRO-board relationship. Fraccaro reflects on lessons from his time at Mastercard — from navigating generational shifts and AI adoption to embedding decency into leadership — and why the CHRO’s role with the board is as much about listening and learning as it is about advising. Related article: The CHRO & the Board: https://www.shrm.org/executive-network/insights/people-strategy/chro-board-expanding-seat-of-influence The Evolving Role of the CHRO in the Boardroom report mentioned: https://www.conference-board.org/publications/the-evolving-role-of-the-CHRO-in-the-boardroom Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, we’re taking you back in time to the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Adam Chamberlain and CHRO Lars Minns shared a behind the scenes look into their leadership partnership. The duo dive into how they’ve aligned a complex organization behind a clear purpose, revealing how empowering teams and nurturing wellbeing can spark unity and strengthen performance. Together, they show that when leaders connect with intention and trust, even high-stakes change can feel grounded, human, and full of forward momentum. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

This episode of People + Strategy is part of the November CHRO alignment series, where we talk to leaders about the executive connection. Today, SHRM’s CHRO Jim Link and CFO Jane Hadley join us in the studio to unpack what true executive alignment looks like when people and finance leaders work as one. Plus, see how well they know each other through a game segment. Through candid conversation and a few laughs, they reveal how trust, curiosity, and data fluency help bridge dollars and decisions, creating a shared vision for growth. From budget season to incentive planning, Link and Hadley show how understanding each other’s “puzzle pieces” strengthens business performance. Their partnership models a modern C-suite where collaboration, not competition, drives both financial health and a thriving workplace culture. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Felicia Robinson, CHRO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, reflects on how HR can steer organizations through change with clarity and heart. Robinson shares her approach to translating a company’s mission into meaningful employee experiences — from nurturing internal talent to weaving purpose into every role. She explores the balance between data-driven workforce planning and the human side of leadership, emphasizing adaptability, digital fluency, and dignity at work. Robinson invites CHROs to reimagine workforce strategy as a living expression of purpose, resilience, and shared success. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Claire MacIntyre, senior VP and chief people officer at Sam’s Club, explores what it means to lead through the rise of AI while keeping people at the center. She shares why today’s leaders may guide the last fully human workforce, and how HR can shape an era of “people-led, tech-powered” work. From reimagining jobs around purpose and creativity to advancing skills-based hiring, MacIntyre challenges CHROs to move beyond scarcity thinking, embrace AI as an enabler, and design workplaces where technology amplifies — not replaces — human potential. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, Brian Dickens, CHRO of the University of Tennessee System, opens up about the realities of leading while caring for both aging parents and growing children. As part of the sandwich generation, Dickens explores how empathy, flexibility, and purpose-driven leadership can help organizations better support a rapidly expanding caregiving workforce. He offers insights on balancing self-care, family, and professional responsibility while challenging HR leaders to rethink culture and benefits to meet the needs of employees navigating life’s most complex seasons. SHRM Report: 2025 Care and Career Report Related Article: Caring Across Generations Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, hear Brad Winn’s hard-won lessons on executive influence and the messy realities of organizational politics. Winn is a professor of leadership and strategy in the Huntsman School of Business, executive MBA director at Utah State University, and senior editor of the People + Strategy Journal. Winn draws upon his time as a member of the Utah House of Representatives to offer insight into how to navigate high-stakes negotiations in both the public and private sector. Listeners will gain tips on how senior HR leaders can go beyond great ideas to move through resistance, build trust, and drive meaningful change. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr --- Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r