HR Data Labs

🚀 Exciting changes are coming in 2026! Join David Turetsky as he shares his vision for HR Data Labs, focusing on positivity and growth. Discover how we're merging brown bag lunches into our podcast and launching something new for HR Data Labs. #HRDataLabs #2026Vision #Positivity Chapters 00:00:34 Introduction and New Directions 00:01:42 David Turetsky's Personal Goals 00:03:59 HR Data Labs Evolution 00:06:19 HR Data Doodles news

Ranya Nehmeh, HR Strategist and Adjunct Professor at FHWien der WKW in Vienna, Austria, and Peter Cappelli, Professor of Management and Director of the Center for Human Resources at the Wharton School, join us this week to discuss some of the topics covered in their book, In Praise of the Office. We explore the current tumultuous state of Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates, why "hybrid" work is often failing to deliver on its promises, and the critical need for intentional management to foster human connection. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Ranya and Peter! Today’s Topic: The Realities of Hybrid Work [9:15] The messiness of Return-to-Office (RTO) today Why the media narrative often contradicts the realities of small business data. Why the definition of “hybrid” varies per organization. [19:03] Is work actually getting done remotely? Distinguishing between hitting individual KPIs and maintaining organizational health. The deterioration of meeting culture and the rise of "cameras off" apathy. The loss of social norms and the difficulty of resolving conflict without face-to-face interaction. [29:50] Do policies need to change for the new world of work? Addressing proximity bias and its impact on promotions and career development. Why treating hybrid work the same as traditional office work is a management failure. Understanding the winners and losers of remote work, particularly for younger or newly onboarded employees. [46:23] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “If you really want people to come back into the office, you have to do it with intentionality.”

Steve Brink, CEO of GECN Group, joins us this week to discuss the complex world of executive compensation. Steve breaks down why the US pays a premium compared to the rest of the world, how boards are shifting their focus from simple compensation to holistic talent management, and the global trends driving executive pay structures today.

Bob Pulver, host of the Elevate Your AIQ podcast and a 25-year enterprise tech and innovation veteran, joins us this week to unpack the urgent need to move past "AI" as a buzzword and define what "Responsible AI" truly means for organizations. He shares his insights on why we are all responsible for AI, how to balance playing "defense" (risk mitigation) and "offense" (innovation), and why we must never outsource our critical thinking and human agency to these new tools. [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Bob! Today’s Topic: Defining Responsible AI and Responsible Innovation [12:25] What Does “Responsible AI” Mean? Why elements (like fairness in decision-making, data provenance, and privacy) must be built-in "by design," not bolted on later. In an era where everyone is a "builder," we are all responsible for the tools we use and create. [25:48] The Two Sides of Responsible Innovation The "responsibility" side involves mitigating risk, ensuring fairness, and staying human-centric—it’s like playing defense. The "innovation" side involves driving growth, entering new markets, and reinvesting efficiency gains—it’s like playing offense. [41:58] Why don’t we use AI to give us a 4-day work week? The critical need for leaders to separate their personal biases from data-driven facts. AI’s role in recent layoffs. [50:27] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “We're all responsible for Responsible AI, whatever your role is. You're either using it or abusing it . . . or you're building it or you're testing it.”

Noah Mithrush, Director of Growth Marketing at Guusto, joins us live from the UKG Aspire Conference to unpack the critical intersection of User Experience (UX) and Employee Experience (EX) in HR technology. Noah explains why so many HR programs fail to gain adoption and how even the best intentions can be derailed by a poor user experience. We discuss how to get into the user’s mindset, why HR tech should be as easy to use a consumer app, and how making the emotional journey of an employee is the key to success.  [0:00] Introduction Welcome, Noah! Today’s Topic: Rethinking User Experience to Improve Employee Experience & Program Adoption [3:53] What do people get right and wrong about user experience? Why good intentions often fail, and the common mistake of not considering all technology touchpoint for the end-user The problem of designing programs that are manually intensive for managers [10:43] How do you get into the users’ mindset to align UX and EX? Going beyond just mapping process steps to mapping the employee journey Why implementing "emotional IQ" into the design process is critical for driving program adoption [16:59] How does AI impact the employee experience? Using agentic processes to allow teams to do more with less The potential for AI to allow teams to "think differently" and fundamentally redesign the employee journey [22:28] Closing Thanks for listening! Quick Quote “What I see a lot of the time is what people get right is their intention. At the very beginning, they're trying to solve a problem . . . but when it comes to tech and the user experience, [they’re] not taking into consideration all of the points along the way of different technology [and] how the actual end-user (or employee) has to use and interact with it.”