In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Bill Banham is joined by Perry Timms, author of Transformational HR and founder of PTHR, to explore how HR leaders can design for constant change rather than react to it.

Together, they unpack Perry’s updated HR operating model — one built on product thinking, systems design, and behavioural science. You’ll hear how HR teams can treat services as evolving products, hire for learning speed, and design employee experiences that adapt without burning people out.

The conversation spans real-world adoption stories from charities, construction, and hospitality, showing how different sectors interpret the same principles to fit their realities. Perry also introduces the idea of the polymorphic organisation — many forms working in sync — balancing governance where it’s needed with fluid networks where innovation thrives.

Looking ahead to 2026, we tackle the AI question head-on. Instead of chasing shaky ROI promises, Perry proposes a sharper metric: return on usefulness. Measure time returned to people, clarity of decisions, speed of work, and the quality of human conversations that actually move the needle.

We close with a leadership challenge: become incubators. Create the conditions for safe experiments, rapid learning, and scalable success.

If you care about resilient teams, smarter HR design, and making technology serve people — not the other way around — this episode is for you.

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The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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Careers don’t peak and fade—they evolve.

In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, host Pauline James is joined by Dr. Ben Zweig, economist, data scientist, and CEO of Revelio Labs, to unpack what AI, remote work, and risk-off hiring really mean for later-career professionals.

The data-driven headline may surprise you: while AI exposure is dampening demand for junior roles, experienced roles remain largely untouched. Ben explains why this shift reflects a deeper transition—from task execution to orchestration—where coordination, prioritization, and cross-functional judgment become the most valuable skills in the economy.

Together, Pauline and Ben explore the difference between procedural organizations that automate easily and adaptable environments where roles evolve continuously. They discuss practical strategies like job crafting, choosing leaders who encourage experimentation, and navigating the loyalty tax without drifting into stagnation. The conversation also covers remote work’s “suburban advantage,” lower job mobility in risk-off markets, and why experience is increasingly rewarded when employers prioritize near-term delivery.

Ben also previews his new book, Job Architecture: Building a Language for Workforce Intelligence, showing how better job taxonomies and LLMs can bring clarity, speed, and fairness to people decisions.

If you’re thinking about your next career chapter—or advising others through change—this episode offers a clear, data-backed roadmap.

Key topics include:

• Why AI is cooling entry-level hiring but sparing experienced roles
• Adaptable vs. procedural organizations
• Orchestration as a core human advantage
• Job crafting as a hedge against stagnation
• The loyalty tax and mid-career earnings trade-offs
• Remote work trends and later-career opportunity
• Using job architecture and LLMs to structure skills and roles

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Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

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In this episode of the HRchat Podcast, Bill Banham is joined by future of work strategist Danny Stacy to unpack the growing disconnect between what employees now expect from work - flexibility, trust, and purpose — and the legacy systems many organisations still rely on.

The result of that gap? Disengagement, burnout, and quiet opting out.

Danny argues that the fix doesn’t start with perks or platforms, but with clarity. Leaders must define what “good work” looks like today, decide how AI-driven productivity gains will be shared, and equip managers to lead with empathy and accountability.

We also explore how hiring has changed. Even in slower markets, candidates are more selective, prioritising culture, adaptability, and long-term fit over pedigree. Danny explains why skills and potential now matter more than traditional credentials — and how to assess for capability without undermining fairness.

Looking ahead to AI in 2026, we challenge the idea that it’s simply a tech rollout. AI is a leadership decision. That means setting clear privacy guardrails, training middle managers to coach realistic use, and answering the question employees are already asking: who keeps the time AI saves?

We also get practical about well-being. Perks don’t fix broken work design. Real well-being shows up in workload, role clarity, trust, and manager quality. Danny shares the leadership behaviour that shifts culture fastest — empathy with accountability — and why moments of pressure reveal what organisational values are really worth.

We close with one actionable move to future-proof your talent strategy: write and share your people principles before buying the next shiny tool, then align hiring, development, and performance to those commitments.

In this episode, we cover:

• The gap between new employee expectations and old systems
• Why hiring now favours skills, adaptability, and long-term fit
• AI as a people decision — with clear value sharing
• Manager readiness and practical AI enablement
• Well-being as an operating model, not a perk
• Empathy with accountability as the leadership edge
• One action to future-proof talent strategy this year

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Support the show

Feature Your Brand on the HRchat Podcast

The HRchat show has had 100,000s of downloads and is frequently listed as one of the most popular global podcasts for HR pros, Talent execs and leaders. It is ranked in the top ten in the world based on traffic, social media followers, domain authority & freshness. The podcast is also ranked as the Best Canadian HR Podcast by FeedSpot and one of the top 10% most popular shows by Listen Score.

Want to share the story of how your business is helping to shape the world of work? We offer sponsored episodes, audio adverts, email campaigns, and a host of other options. Check out packages here.

• Follow us on LinkedIn
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Check out our in-person events