The HR Huddle cover art

The HR Huddle

The HR Huddle

By: WRKdefined Podcast Network
Listen for free

About this listen

 Welcome to the HR Huddle, the ultimate resource for all things HR. This podcast is comprised of two unique mini-shows where we will be: Spilling The Tea On HR Tech with Chief Research Officer and HR tech market influencer, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson, Sapient Insights Group, Director of Research, AND breaking down the messy stories that everyone in human resources has in HR - HR We Have a Problem, with Teri Zipper - global HR consulting expert and Sapient Insights Group CEO featuring weekly industry co-hosts. Cause when the shit goes down. You've got to huddle up.All rights reserved by WRKdefined Economics Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Spilling the Tea on HR Tech - How Oracle's massive layoffs, six conflicting AI studies, and a military targeting error share a common problem.

    Spilling the Tea on HR Tech - How Oracle's massive layoffs, six conflicting AI studies, and a military targeting error share a common problem.
    Apr 16 2026
    In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson dig into a news week in which the same question keeps surfacing: how much should you trust the data in front of you? Oracle laid off 30,000 employees, and the financial story behind that decision is more complicated than the AI narrative being used to explain it. Meanwhile, a meta-analysis of six major consulting firms working from the same data produced conclusions so different they barely resemble each other, which is its own argument for never acting on a single source. They also tackle the real cost of removing humans from decision-making chains, using Laszlo Bock's post on AI-assisted military targeting as a case study for what happens when speed becomes the only goal. Key points covered include: ↪️ The official narrative on Oracle's layoffs is AI replacing unnecessary roles, but the numbers behind $58 billion in borrowing and $156 billion in data center commitments tell a more complicated story about cash flow needs. ↪️ Six consulting firms analyzing the same AI data produced an array of starkly different conclusions. For instance, one firm concluded that AI had "zero economic impact" while another cited quadrupling productivity rates. According to the hosts, this shows why industry benchmarks and recommendations are not a reliable basis for your organization's AI decisions. ↪️ "Human in the loop" is not enough if that human is only doing a final sign-off without visibility into how the AI reached its recommendation ↪️ AI pricing is moving away from flat subscription models toward usage-based and connector-based charges, and buyers who treat AI as an unlimited resource right now are going to face a reckoning as that infrastructure debt comes due. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 16 mins
  • HR, We Have a Problem - How to actually measure whether AI is helping your hiring process before it costs you qualified candidates.

    HR, We Have a Problem - How to actually measure whether AI is helping your hiring process before it costs you qualified candidates.
    Apr 9 2026
    In this episode of HR, We Have a Problem, Cliff Stevenson debuts as host alongside guest Aly Baxter, Director of Product Management at Indeed, to dig into what's actually happening on both sides of the hiring process as AI use accelerates. They look at why more AI adoption hasn't translated into faster hiring, what recruiters really need from these tools, and how Indeed's Smart Screening is trying to fix the dynamic between job seekers and employers. Whether you're trying to fill roles or land one, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets to what actually works. Key points covered include: ↪️ AI adoption in recruiting is at 49%, the highest of any HR function, yet time to hire is still going up, which tells you adoption alone is not the answer. ↪️ Before adding any AI to your hiring process, map every step and how long it takes. That's the only way to know where it will actually help and how to measure whether it does. ↪️ For job seekers, validating your experience, certifications, licenses, work history, matters more than a polished resume in a world where employers can't tell what's real. ↪️ The goal on both sides is the same: get to a real human conversation as fast as possible, and the best AI tools are the ones that clear the path to that moment instead of replacing it. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn Aly Baxter LinkedIn
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • Spilling the Tea on HR Tech - The gap between AI expectations and actual business results, the pros and cons of synthetic data panels, and a liability ruling that could change the rules for HR tech vendors.

    Spilling the Tea on HR Tech - The gap between AI expectations and actual business results, the pros and cons of synthetic data panels, and a liability ruling that could change the rules for HR tech vendors.
    Apr 2 2026
    In this episode of Spilling the Tea on HR Tech, Stacey Harris and Cliff Stevenson recap two of the biggest HR tech events of the spring season and break down what they actually heard from participating CHROs, mid-market HR leaders, and vendors. The conversation moves through a packed week of news, covering acquisitions, funding rounds, platform expansions, and many rebrands. They dig into the growing debate around the use of synthetic data panels, the liability ruling against Meta and Google, and new research showing C-suite leaders still expect AI to yield productivity gains despite seeing little impact over the past three years. Key points covered include: ↪️ Organizations across mid-market and enterprise are still trying to get their existing HR systems working together, and many are frustrated that AI conversations keep taking priority over fixing that foundation first. ↪️ Proprietary data is what separates defensible companies from ones that can be replicated - that theme runs through the Findem/Glider acquisition, Payscale's Compass tool, and Origin's $50M raise. ↪️ The liability verdict against Meta and Google opens real questions for HR vendors incorporating AI into their solutions. In particular, vendors selling AI-supported coaching, performance management, learning, and recruiting tools could be held accountable for what their AI agents do. ↪️ Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research showed that CEOs and CFOs reported minimal productivity improvement from AI use over the last three years, and yet still predict nearly 1% productivity gains annually going forward. At the same time, data center capacity is dropping. The data disconnect indicates that despite the ongoing AI hype, companies are in a wait-and-see mode when it comes to AI’s business and ROI value. The hosts get into the pros and cons of synthetic data panels – AI-generated, simulated groups that are supposed to mimic the behaviors, preferences, and survey responses of real people. They discuss the challenges of using synthetic panels for decision making and the questions customers should have when reviewing results. Don’t miss this exciting thought leader conversation! Follow the hosts and companies mentioned below: Sapient Insights Group Download the 2024-25 HR Systems Survey White Paper Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Stacey Harris Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn Cliff Stevenson Twitter | LinkedIn
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 20 mins
No reviews yet