Tim shares how he built (and scrapped) a multimillion-dollar AI interview scheduling bot, why we should rethink HR's "pecking order," and lessons from the front lines of automation. The conversation dives into digital assistants, digital workers, and why HR and IT must now operate as true partners. Tim also challenges the idea that transactional HR work is a necessary career stepping stone, arguing instead for a smarter, more strategic entry path into the profession.

• Shared Services Is Strategic: The most frequent HR touchpoint for employees sits in operations, exactly where AI can drive real differentiation.

• Not Every AI Bet Pays Off: Tim shares a candid story of a failed, high-investment interview scheduling build and the lessons learned about build vs. buy.

• 80% Isn't Good Enough in High-Stakes Workflows: In areas like recruiting, partial automation can create more risk than value.

• Digital Workers Are Coming: HR and IT must think about AI agents like employees, onboarding, training, performance management included.

• Entry-Level HR Needs Rethinking: Transactional work shouldn't be the default gateway to the profession in an AI-augmented world.
  
  

  Tim Young on LinkedIn

  LHH Recruitment Solutions

  A Beautiful Working World

  A Soundbeam Studios Production

Dr. Ekta Vyas, CHRO at Keck Medicine of USC, joins Rob to unpack what it really takes to lead transformation inside complex healthcare systems. Drawing on her background as a psychologist, scholar-practitioner, and longtime healthcare HR leader, Dr. Vyas shares how emotional intelligence, strategic business alignment, and disciplined measurement turn HR from a transactional function into a true enterprise driver. From integrating newly acquired hospitals to redesigning HR operating models and elevating employee experience, she explains why most transformations fail and what leaders must do differently. One hot take included: being "a people person" is not a qualification for HR.

📌 Key Takeaways

Strategic HR Requires Business Acumen: Dr. Vyas rejects the notion that being "a people person" is enough for success in HR. Strategic thinking and business alignment are essential.

Transformation Is Emotional: Change isn't just structural, it's deeply emotional. Leaders must manage resistance by understanding how change impacts people's daily work lives.

EQ Is Core to Change Management: Dr. Vyas uses emotional intelligence to lead through transformation, from listening tours to transparent communication with staff.

Academic + Industry Fusion: Her dual role as CHRO and adjunct faculty keeps her grounded in both current research and practical application, a powerful combination.

Measurement Matters: The Keck HR transformation tracked over 7,400 cases, implemented ServiceNow, and used metrics to improve efficiency, service, and employee experience.

Today's HR Is Tomorrow's Infrastructure: To support enterprise growth (including M&A), HR must evolve from a transactional function to a strategic enabler.

Lifelong Learning Drives Effective Leadership: Whether through teaching or leading, Dr. Vyas emphasizes the need to stay curious and continually develop.

Dr. Ekta Vyas on LinkedIn

LHH Recruitment Solutions

A Beautiful Working World

A Soundbeam Studios Production

Monica Marquez has held big titles at Google, EY, and Goldman Sachs, but now she's teaching companies how to ditch their outdated playbooks and embrace a new way of working with AI. In this episode, Monica and Rob unpack why the people team, not IT, needs to lead AI transformation, how to automate without losing the human touch, and what it really means to "unlearn" your way to better work. She shares how her team at Flipwork is helping organizations build adaptive, human-centered workflows and why leaders must create safe spaces for experimentation.

Also discussed: how to turn prompting into repeatable agents, the problem with "work slop," and why the best AI onboarding might come from a Clippy-inspired bot named Flippy.

• AI transformation must be people-led, not tech-led

• Unlearning is the new competitive edge in a world moving faster than ever

• "Work slop" is real, and AI isn't to blameHigh-value work starts when you stop doing what AI can do faster

• The best use of AI is treating it like an intern, not an oracle

• Prompting is table stakes. Turning prompts into agents is the real differentiator

• Empowering people to automate their own workflows requires safe space and structure

• People teams must guide AI adoption to protect ROI and increase tool adoption

• AI should amplify your "authentic intelligence," not replace it

• A modern talent strategy must account for psychological safety, rapid experimentation, and clear permission to try new things

¡Ay, Ay, Ay, AI! Newsletter

Monica Marquez on LinkedIn

LHH Recruitment Solutions

A Beautiful Working World

A Soundbeam Studios Production