The HR Huddle

Episode description In this special edition of HR We Have a Problem, recorded live at HR Tech, Cliff Stevenson and Stacey Harris sat down with Cornerstone’s Chief Marketing Officer Mini Peiris and Guna Jayaraman, who leads product strategy and technology. They recorded from the top of Cornerstone’s double-decker booth, and Cornerstone used the conversation to break news on two launches. The first is Workforce Planning, which builds on the Workforce AI foundation Cornerstone introduced in May. It treats planning as a skills and capabilities conversation rather than a headcount exercise. The second is Agent Ready, a governance layer that continuously evaluates every AI agent in your organization against your policies, your data permissions and the conduct you expect from your people. Together they talk about why technology is a commodity and people are the winning recipe, and why HR should manage AI agents as carefully as it manages employees. They also explain why the best AI strategies start with the outcome you’re after instead of the tool. If you couldn’t make it to HR Tech, consider this your VIP access.

Throwback Thursday: We’re revisiting one of our favorite conversations from HR, We Have a Problem. Teri Zipper talks with Melissa Reeve, creator of the Hyper-Adaptive Model and author of Hyper-Adaptive: Rewiring the Enterprise to Become AI Native, about why successful AI integration means spending 70% of the effort on people and only 30% on technology. They discuss how jobs will be deconstructed and reassembled as AI automates tasks, why every organization needs an “AI North Star,” and the structures companies need to build to support the shift. Her message is even more timely today. Key points covered include: ↪️ An “AI North Star” gives employees a clear, compelling business goal, so they understand why the organization is adopting AI and how their roles connect to that mission. ↪️ AI activation hubs and councils give AI leads programmatic support, building networks that spread learning and get relevant information to the frontlines quickly as new capabilities emerge. ↪️ Protected time and safe spaces let employees explore AI through their own curiosity. One example is “prompting parties,” where teams compare approaches and discover what’s possible together. ↪️ Empathy mapping helps identify the tasks employees dislike, like bug chasing, testing, and invoice processing. Showing how AI can handle those tasks shifts the mindset from fear of job replacement to capability enhancement. Whether you missed it the first time or you’re ready for a refresher, this thought leader conversation is worth another listen!

Recorded on the road, between hurricanes and a packed conference schedule, this quick-turnaround episode has Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson sharing the HR tech stories everyone will be talking about at HR Tech next week. Stacey calls in from Workday Rising with the latest on Sana, the new Sana Agent Builder, agent-to-agent collaboration, and ambient agents. The two also recap Cornerstone Connect at Chicago’s historic Drake Hotel, including how customer advisory board feedback is shaping the way the team presents its AI maturity data. They also share what they learned visiting Vensure in Atlanta. On the news front, they break down SAP’s acquisition of TechWolf and Salesforce’s reported $2B purchase of Listen Labs. They also cover UKG opening its platform to Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, ServiceNow’s standalone Flow for AI-powered service management, Canva’s push into workplace productivity tools, and Dayforce’s new Chief Product and Technology Officer. Then they turn to the bigger picture: a UC Berkeley study finding that just ten minutes of AI use can erode persistence on hard tasks, California’s No Robo Bosses Act, iCIMS data showing U.S. hiring down 7% while job openings rise, and why losing entry-level jobs puts the future talent pipeline at risk. The episode wraps with a preview of an upcoming series on women founders and leaders in AI, a full fall event schedule, and the 29th Annual HR Systems Survey, which launches November 6. You can catch Stacey’s keynote debut at HR Tech on Wednesday afternoon.

What happens when the job you build to solve a problem turns into your calling? On this episode of The Pivot Effect, Teri Zipper and Susan Richards talk with Denise Melton, pastoral counselor and Executive Director of Cumberland Children's House of Hope and the Threads of Hope Thrift Store. Denise started out managing medical, dental, and legal offices. Then she turned her basement into a childcare center so she'd have care she could trust for her own son. That small fix became one of the most respected preschools in town. Through it, she got to know local law enforcement and the Department of Children's Services, and she saw firsthand what children in crisis go through. Those relationships led her to volunteer at House of Hope, one of Tennessee's first transitional homes for children removed from unsafe homes. Within two years, she became its first paid director. Denise talks about the leaps that only looked sudden, the hard seasons that tested her faith, and the moment she almost walked away. She also shares why House of Hope takes no government funding, how she hires people who may outgrow the organization, and why asking for help is a leadership strength. If you're thinking about your next pivot, she has a simple reminder: it doesn't cost anything to be kind.

HR tech conference season is here, and this week's tea is piping hot. Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson of Sapient Insights Group cover the deals, the debates, and what it all means for your organization. They start with a big round of deal news. Phoenix Education Partners agrees to acquire Fuel50. BoomerangHR raised $12.7M for its solution that tracks and manages former employees. Spott raised $21M for recruiting agency tech, and Dave Duffield led a $250M raise for Ridgeline, which offers an investment management solution. From there, they react to the rebrand of SHRM's annual conference and discuss whether the use of OKRs is actually the best way to assess performance. They also look at the growing strain on middle managers, why AI shouldn't be grading its own work, and Amazon’s rehiring of former employees, some of whom had been laid off. Cliff also shares takeaways from NAPEO2026 and O.C. Tanner ‘s annual conference, and Stacey previews her HR Tech keynote and what's coming in this year's research.