Treating current and potential employees like customers may seem like a novel idea, but for Sophie Clifford, Vodafone’s Global Head of Talent Acquisition, it’s a concept that’s right at home with her organization’s goals. Join us this week for our episode featuring Clifford, who has a holistic perspective to attracting and retaining the right talent. She joins hosts Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato for an insightful conversation about how Vodafone, with nearly 100,000 employees in 25 global markets, completely overhauled its HR processes and recruitment strategies with talent intelligence. Clifford shares the critical lessons she learned along the way, including the need for collaboration, how to make skills a universal language, and the unavoidable but invaluable investment of time. Listen to learn more about: - Why AI-powered automation is the new recruiting standard, with internal education and collaboration being key to adoption. - How real-time skills intelligence creates a common language among different HR functions, enabling a cohesive, end-to-end talent strategy. - Why collaboration — and giving your employees a voice — is essential to implementation.

As an expert in the human capital market, Madeline Laurano’s latest research dives deep into the world of talent intelligence. Her paper, Demystifying Talent Intelligence, explains what talent intelligence is — and isn’t — and the ways it can impact an organization’s performance. Laurano is a strong advocate for using AI to transform workforces — especially when it comes to driving change through a skills-based approach. In this episode of The New Talent Code, Laurano joined hosts Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato to discuss: - The definition of real talent intelligence — and how to tell the difference. - What HR transformation entails, including changing mindsets and measuring outcomes. - How to fix the disconnect between talent intelligence for the HR function and how it can serve the entire organization. - Where organizations are getting stuck in the adoption process and how to address these challenges with a holistic approach.

An industry leader and American icon in equipment engineering and manufacturing, John Deere is also setting the pace when it comes to talent management. Deere is putting its 75,000 employees in the driver’s seat of their careers. Head of Talent Management Julianne Brown-Meola is helping lead the way as a true advocate for building talent plans around skills. In this episode of The New Talent Code, Brown-Meola joined hosts Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato to discuss her role, and Deere’s talent management strategies for finding and developing the technical “no-regret” skills they will need for the future. In this episode, you’ll hear about: - Why “all roads lead to skills” at John Deere. - How talent leaders are creating an environment where every employee feels there is opportunity to develop their skills. - How they practice what they preach: Collaboration and collusion across leaders and departments is key to creating a talent strategy that supports the business.

What will your role in HR look like in this new world of AI — and how can you successfully guide your employees and your organization through the transformation? Jason Averbook, Senior Partner and Global Leader of HR transformation at Mercer, joined hosts Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato to answer these questions on The New Talent Code. Averbook is a recognized authority on HR, the future of work, and the role of technology in shaping the workforce of tomorrow, and is the author of two books: HR from now to next: Reimagining the workplace of tomorrow and The ultimate guide to a digital workforce experience: Leap for a purpose. In this episode (2 of 2), you’ll hear about: - The key differences between implementation and deployment of new technologies — and why understanding the difference matters. - Why you need to use data to inform all your decisions. - How to think about GenAI’s potential impact on your business.

What will your role in HR look like in this new world of AI — and how can you successfully guide your employees and your organization through the transformation? Jason Averbook, Senior Partner and Global Leader of HR transformation at Mercer, joined hosts Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato to answer these questions on The New Talent Code. Averbook is a recognized authority on HR, the future of work, and the role of technology in shaping the workforce of tomorrow, and is the author of two books: HR from now to next: Reimagining the workplace of tomorrow and The ultimate guide to a digital workforce experience: Leap for a purpose. In this episode (1 of 2), you’ll hear about: - How the role of HR has changed drastically to support the intelligence economy. - Why transformation is essential — you must unlearn to stay relevant. - Why you must set benchmarks and measures of success that align to your overall business goals.

The New Talent Code is back — and features some of the best conversations we’ve had around HR transformation to date. Join us as Eightfold’s Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato talk with today’s top HR thought leaders and practitioners to discuss what’s shaping the space today and the best ways to transform your workforce to be ready for anything. From how GenAI will impact the space, to navigating AI regulations, to building an organization based on talent and skills, we hope you’ll listen in on our customers’ HR journeys and experts’ advice about how to best deploy AI in the HR space. It’s all here in The New Talent Code.

As an HR professional, do you understand the direction of your business? Do you understand whether your organization has the skills and capabilities to move in that direction? “These are fundamental questions that, without the appropriate knowledge, data, and intelligence to have that dialogue, the boardroom becomes a very anxious situation for a CHRO.” In this must-listen episode, Darren Burton, former CHRO of KPMG and current Chief People Officer of Eightfold AI, talks about why HR data needs to be a driver in strategic workforce planning. From facilitators to champions, HR professionals have an increasingly vital role in shaping the future of work. In this episode, you’ll hear about: - The shift toward skills-based job descriptions that are more adaptable to the changing nature of work - The need for HR professionals to have a deep understanding of their business and the market to advise and support their organizations - The importance of having the right knowledge, data, and intelligence for productive conversations with the board and leadership team Take advantage of this opportunity to hear from a leading HR expert on how you can take your career to the next level and make a real impact in your organization.

Since inception, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has focused on preventing and remedying unlawful employment discrimination and advancing equal opportunity for all in the workplace. When it comes to AI, existing legal mechanisms also apply. Commissioner Keith Sonderling of the EEOC warns that the public should know that government agencies lack the requisite knowledge to regulate AI effectively. He advocates for organizations to self-regulate and self-audit so they don’t stifle critical innovation in this space. "The most effective solution is a deregulatory approach that properly utilizes the existing employment discrimination framework and the resources already available to agencies,” Sonderling wrote in this co-authored opinion arguing for a deregulatory approach to the use of AI in the workplace. In this episode, Sonderling breaks down some of the leading complexities behind AI and employment laws, including: - Why ensuring that AI and other workplace technologies are designed and deployed to comply with existing civil rights laws, a top priority for the EEOC - How AI can make HR processes more transparent and explainable - Why a deregulatory approach to AI in HR puts greater emphasis on outcomes, and how that’s positive for antidiscrimination and innovation practices Don’t miss a chance to hear more from Sonderling on AI’s role in HR: - “It's no longer a conversation of, ‘Am I going to use HR technology?’ It's about how we will use that technology, for what purpose we will use that technology, and how we use it with the longstanding civil rights laws that we're all subject to.” [7:27] - “Just like all other areas of the law, employers have a duty to comply with the law now. They don't need to wait for enforcement. They don't need to wait for large litigations. They need to ensure that the tools they have now comply with long-standing civil rights laws without the distraction of potential new laws.” [13:13] - “A lot of larger companies need to hire a lot of people very quickly, and they can’t do it at this point without the assistance of some sort of technology.” [18:35] - “Technology can look through job descriptions and tell you what lines may no longer be necessary and have historically prevented people from certain backgrounds from entering the workforce.” [24:13]

Talent leaders shouldn’t worry about AI harming equal employment opportunities. In fact, they should know that the right AI only enhances it. Craig Leen, former Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) at the U.S. Department of Labor, is a proponent of using AI in hiring, especially when finding equal opportunities for all workers. Join Ligia Zamora and Jason Cerrato as they sit down with Craig Leen to get the latest take on all things AI in HR, including: - What organizations need to look out for with new AI in HR regulations - Why HR functions should audit job requirements as they go, and correct inequities with skills-based insights - How "good AI" helps to identify people who have historically been overlooked by humans or have been subject to unconscious bias Don't miss these quotes from Craig Leen: - “Recognize that many combinations of experiences may lead to the development of a certain skill, and by looking for that skill only, it gives someone a chance to compete for the job." - Craig Leen [12:57] - “I would generally recommend profile masking so that when you make that selection of who to interview, you’re not making that decision in any way based on race, ethnicity, gender, disability status, or sexual orientation." - Craig Leen [20:57] - “There’s this idea that AI is going to cause harm to certain people. The less you can explain a particular AI's outcome, the more valid that concern. The opposite is also true though, particularly for good AI.” - Craig Leen [27:03]

Like the transformation from paper maps to modern-day GPS, the world of talent management needs a faster, reliable, more intelligent way to map out upskilling and learning opportunities for people. Steve Hunt, Ph.D., Chief Expert, Technology and Work at SAP, profoundly understands how technology transforms work. He joins The New Talent Code to discuss the intersection of psychology, work technology, and business performance. And why every organization needs to clearly map out a path for upskilling – or be left behind. Here are some key takeaways: - "There’s a myth that people aren’t good at change. That’s completely wrong. The competitive niche of humans as a species is our ability to adapt to changing environments. We are really good at it.” - Steve Hunt [08:20] - "If you look at what artificial intelligence and machine learning tools are doing to the field of skills and skills ontologies, it’s like what GPS did for maps. It's taking this knowledge and allowing us to more quickly update these things on the fly organically, like how Waze updates traffic patterns on the fly organically. As a result, it will enable employees to get much better insight into possible career paths in real-time.” - Steve Hunt [15:18] - "We don't want people thinking of employees as fixed assets. Instead, we want to constantly think of employees as something changing and growing over time.” - Steve Hunt [21:47]