Couverture de Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

Workplace Stories by RedThread Research

De : Stacia Garr & Dani Johnson
Écouter gratuitement

Offres de saison | 0,99 € par mois pendant les 3 premiers mois

5,99 €/mois par la suite. Des conditions s’appliquent. Annulation mensuelle possible.
Workplace Stories is a podcast for HR and people leaders who are tired of noise and need clarity that actually holds up. It is hosted by Stacia Garr and Dani Johnson of RedThread Research.

Each episode features candid conversations with practitioners, thinkers, and executives who are navigating real decisions inside complex organizations. Not hypotheticals. Not vendor promises. Real tradeoffs, real experiments, and real lessons learned along the way.

You’ll hear how leaders are making sense of skills, AI, organizational design, and culture when there’s no clear playbook and pressure to show progress is high. The focus is always the same: what’s actually working, what isn’t, and what leaders are doing next.

Workplace Stories helps you make sense of complexity, build credibility with evidence, and move from ideas to action with more confidence.

Want to be part of the conversation? Join our community for free and connect with others shaping the future of work.

Learn more about RedThread Research here: https://redthreadresearch.com/homeRedThread Research 2026 Economie Management Management et direction
Épisodes
  • ServiceNow's Approach to Skills and Workforce Readiness: Jayney Howson

    ServiceNow's Approach to Skills and Workforce Readiness: Jayney Howson
    Sep 30 2026
    The rapid transformation of work, driven by technological acceleration and evolving business needs, is leaving organizations scrambling to keep their employees future ready. ServiceNow’s Chief Learning Officer Jayney joins me to share her thoughts on how organizations can move beyond traditional skilling to focus on comprehensive readiness, including the unique human abilities that set people apart from machines. Jayney discusses ServiceNow’s model of a "talent signature"—a multidimensional skill profile that brings together AI fluency, functional expertise, and the elusive but critical human advantage. You'll hear how ServiceNow is transforming learning into a personalized, playful, and data-driven experience, why curiosity can’t be taught but can be learned, and how measuring what makes us uniquely human is key. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...03:46 Measuring uniquely human skills13:08 Assessing employee skill readiness15:03 Emerging AI skills and demand18:56 Creating conditions for curiosity27:26 Workforce readiness and skills gap32:32 Focus on customer-centric strategy35:43 Debating centralized vs. federated learning37:33 Introducing SimStudio for training47:04 Creating a unique learning environment48:12 Solving the learning experience puzzle56:09 How the Lead Boldly model worksThe Shift from Skilling to Workforce ReadinessWorkforce readiness has become the new clarion call for organizations. Between 30 and 100% of skills are going to change in the workforce over the next 3 years. This volatility demands a seismic shift in how we think about people development: not as one-off, reactive upskilling, but as continuous preparation for evolving roles and technologies.At ServiceNow, readiness means aligning workforce capabilities with both current role requirements and the unpredictable demands of tomorrow’s jobs. Readiness isn’t about checking boxes on completed learning modules—it’s about ensuring employees can confidently perform in their roles now and adapt to what’s next.Rethinking Skills: The Talent Signature ModelCentral to ServiceNow’s approach is the concept of the “talent signature”—a model that assesses employees across three dimensions:AI Fluency: The understanding and leverage of AI, scaled according to job requirements.Functional Skills: Core competencies needed for specific roles (e.g., technical, sales, marketing).Human Skills: The human advantage—skills that remain when AI takes over routine work, such as critical thinking, judgment, curiosity, courage, and interpersonal connection.This framework recognizes that the interplay between these domains is dynamic and context-dependent. An AI skill alone, without a human skill, is actually a skill that AI could do on its own. The difference is the foundational human layer. The model leverages nearly 200 signals—from learning completions and assessments to project work and interpersonal feedback—to generate a unique skill profile for each employee. This data-rich fingerprint enables more precise, personalized development paths and better workforce planning.Can Curiosity Be Learned?We discuss whether qualities like curiosity and courage are innate or can be developed. While training modules for curiosity might fall short, Jayney’s perspective is that these attributes can’t be taught, but they can be learned. The distinction matters: it's about creating the right conditions for growth rather than direct instruction. By fostering environments where it’s safe to experiment and fail, organizations can unlock these human traits. The Power of Safe ExperimentationTo build a culture of learning, ServiceNow draws on the “science of play.” Drawing inspiration from educational theorists like Johan Huizinga, Jayney advocates for “magic circles”—playgrounds within the organization where different rules apply, and the risk of failure is reduced. In these environments, employees are more willing to try, iterate, and improve.The shift from passive consumption (read-and-test courses) to hands-on, playful approaches is evidenced in their adoption of AI-driven roleplay. Strikingly, 93% of participants returned to repeat these immersive simulations, a testament to the draw and efficacy of playful, experiential learning.Leading Boldly in Times of UncertaintyIn a climate of rampant change and declining organizational trust, leadership takes center stage. ServiceNow’s “Lead Boldly” model encourages leaders to trust boldly, communicate clearly (even without certainty), and champion change—a people-centered approach that recognizes leaders as the primary catalysts for psychological safety, resilience, and adaptive learning. Resources & People MentionedBill McDermott CEO of ServiceNowRachel Botsman on LinkedInHomo Ludens: A Study of the Play Element in CultureLOL- Learning out Loud!Jayney Howson on Substack Connect with Guest NameJayney Howson - Chief Learning Officer @ ...
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h et 1 min
  • Pay Transparency and Living Wage Initiatives: Colleen McCreary

    Pay Transparency and Living Wage Initiatives: Colleen McCreary
    Sep 16 2026
    When we think about culture, compensation is rarely at the heart of the conversation. But how organizations approach pay, structure, transparency, and performance ties speaks volumes about their values and priorities. We sit down with Colleen McCreary, former Chief People Officer at Credit Karma, to explore the intricacies of compensation as a strategic organizational system. Colleen shares how a convoluted pay structure led to a complete overhaul at Credit Karma, resulting in a transparent, role-based compensation system focused on fairness and impact. We discuss pay transparency, the difference between impact and performance, eliminating performance ratings, and introducing a living wage initiative that aligned pay practices with organizational values.You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...[01:25] Transparent processes for compensation decisions [06:01] Alignment of compensation practices with company mission of financial wellness [10:41] Discussing compensation systems[20:11] Designing the employee compensation structure[30:46] Restructuring team roles and pay[33:19] Addressing pay equity issues[53:10] Developing a promotion budget model[56:14] Managing underperformers and their compensationBuilding the RelationshipPay is central to the employment relationship, the systems around it are often opaque, and inconsistent—and that breeds confusion and erodes trust. Many leaders default to inherited systems or fail to connect the dots between compensation and the broader organizational culture. This neglect carries hidden costs of noisy complaints, employee disengagement, unhealthy attrition, and management headaches. Redefining Pay TransparencyTraditionally, pay transparency means posting salary ranges or employee pay for all to see. Credit Karma’s approach went much further. In their context, transparency meant everyone understood how compensation worked: how often it was evaluated, by what benchmark, and through what decision-making process. It wasn’t about broadcasting individual pay; it was about demystifying systems, leveling the informational playing field, and removing the perception of favoritism or randomness.When Credit Karma rolled out its new compensation structure, employee perceptions of fairness soared. Surveys found over 90% of respondents felt their pay was fair, even if it wasn’t always exactly what they wanted, compared to a baseline closer to 50%.Leveling the Playing FieldCredit Karma moved to a role-based pay system: everyone in the same role, at the same location, received the same compensation—no negotiations or special deals. Annual and merit bonuses were rolled into base salaries, and instead of annual performance increases, pay adjustments were driven by market comparisons at regular intervals.This meant that newly hired employees could no longer leapfrog existing ones in pay, removing a frequent source of managerial angst and employee resentment. Managers were freed from salary negotiations and instead spent energy on developing talent, while systemic reviews twice a year ensured pay stayed competitive without employees having to ask.Decoupling Compensation from Performance RatingsAn innovative move was uncoupling compensation from traditional performance ratings. By eliminating ratings, Credit Karma relied on promotions and defined job architecture to help employees progress, using clear criteria for advancement. To recognize outstanding contributions, they created an Exceptional Impact Program (EIP), using stock grants to reward employee impact rather than routine high performance.Acceptance rates in recruiting increased, and attrition rates fell during tumultuous periods in both the company and the wider world. The new system also built organizational trust, employees no longer questioned whether newcomers or others were being paid unfairly; they could focus on their roles and development, knowing the system was both transparent and fair. Resources & People MentionedCredit KarmaConfluentIntuitCulture AmpRadford McLagan Compensation Database SalesforceLiving Wage Calculator Colleen Wheeler McCreary on Medium Connect with Colleen McCrearyColleen McCreary on LinkedIn Connect With RedThread ResearchWebsite: RedThread ResearchOn LinkedInSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    1 h et 8 min
  • Making Order Out of Chaos in L&D: Tracie Cantu

    Making Order Out of Chaos in L&D: Tracie Cantu
    Sep 2 2026
    In this episode, I welcome Tracie Cantu, Chief Learning Strategist and author of Running L&D Like a Business. We discuss the operational challenges facing today’s L&D teams, the critical distinction between workflows and processes, and the dangers of succumbing to “shiny object syndrome” in the era of AI. From the looming risk of a mid-level talent gap to predictions about the future of L&D itself, our conversation offers practical frameworks, strategic advice, and a glimpse into what it will take for learning leaders to thrive in an uncertain future. You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...06:39 Optimizing learning function operations08:14 Defining workflows vs processes16:33 Evaluating investment value in L&D18:35 Using the ‘5 Whys’ method24:29 Discussing the problem-solving mindset30:09 Training models and workforce readiness36:45 AI in talent acquisition and L&D challenges43:09 Expectations and projections for L&D's futureThe Power of Process Over WorkflowTraditionally, L&D departments have been highly reactive—responding to requests, putting out fires, and churning out solutions, often without a clear line of sight to business goals. Tracy sees L&D as an optimizer of systems more than anything.She distinguishes between workflows—a series of tasks, often repeated for each new problem—and processes, which are more strategic, goal-oriented, and repeatable across scenarios. Many L&D teams are stuck in workflow mode, leading to reinventing the wheel rather than building scalable, impactful models. Processes enable organizations to rise above reactive task management, free up resources for strategic initiatives, and lay the groundwork for measuring real business value.People, Processes, and TechnologyTracie’s operating model blueprint has three pillars—people, process, and technology:People: Are the right skills in the right roles? Or are teams over-indexed in content production but lacking capabilities in data and strategy?Process: Are you operating by checklists or by cohesive, strategy-backed processes that align to business goals?Technology: Do your tools work together as an ecosystem, or are they siloed, duplicating effort and data?L&D teams often falter at the process stage where prioritization, governance, and strategic trade-offs live. Without this backbone, even the shiniest technology will fail to deliver.Why AI Isn’t a Silver BulletToo often, L&D falls prey to “shiny object syndrome”—embracing new technologies before understanding whether they solve any actual problem. Tracie shares the story of a company that spent half a million dollars on VR headsets for employee training, only to realize that what the team needed was human interaction and real feedback, not another gadget. Lots of organizations see AI as a means to crank out content faster, rather than as a tool to fundamentally rethink how we solve business challenges. For AI or any new tech to really be transformative in L&D, the back end—data, processes, and governance—needs to be tight. Otherwise, as Tracie says, “garbage in, garbage out, only louder with AI.”The Future of L&DTracie shares why she thinks L&D may be split into a production-focused function in the future, essentially an in-house content shop, and a more strategic workforce enablement team, possibly absorbed into talent or HR. The risk is that as organizations cut costs and chase efficiency, they neglect long-term skills development, creating a skills dearth by 2032.Who will be responsible for upskilling and reskilling when L&D is gone? If L&D disappears, the job may fall to talent acquisition or management, but neither is equipped to oversee ongoing learning at scale. L&D professionals who embrace business partnership, systems thinking, and continuous reinvention can still carve out vital space within organizations. The path forward requires tough choices—rethinking team structure, adopting true process discipline, and resisting the allure of fast fixes. Resources & People MentionedRunning L&D Like a Business Shock of the New: The Challenge and Promise of Emerging Technology by Chad Udell and Gary Woodill Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein Rep. Liccardo Introduces SKILL Act to Prepare Workers for AI-Driven Job Market ShiftsConnect Education To Jobs And Create An AI Workforce Transition PlanMEEK - Fabulous (Official Video) Connect with Tracie CantuTracie CantuTracie M. Cantu on LinkedIn Connect With RedThread ResearchWebsite: RedThread ResearchOn LinkedInSubscribe to WORKPLACE STORIES
    Afficher plus Afficher moins
    47 min
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
Aucun commentaire pour le moment