Integrate or Die: a work technology podcast

Steve and Jordan talk with Mary Poppen about links between HR technology, employee experience, and customer experience. Prior to her role as President of the Employee Experience Division of HRIZONs, Mary led customer experience functions in several prominent HR technology companies and wrote a book about customer and employee experience called “Goodbye Churn, Hello Growth!” . Some things we cover:
+ The challenge of experience management being something that everyone is responsible for but that few people are held accountable for.
+ Why companies need more centralized, cross-functional, continuous, integrated employee and customer experience management platforms.
+ Reasons companies struggle when building experience management technology platforms and functions
We also hear Jordan talk about dark, scary temperature-controlled closets and learn that Steve was once in the CIA (not that CIA)

Steve and Jordan talk with Sujit Karpe about using technology to identify, assess and utilize employee skills. Sujit is the Chief Technical Officer at iMocha where he has guided development of large scale HR technology solutions that use AI/ML to improve skills management. Some things we cover:
+ The need for a common language around jobs and skills, and why it is hard to achieve. 
+ The difference between skills data platforms and skills application platforms
+ Approaching skills assessment from an employee perspective
We also give Jordan the opportunity to rate Steve’s skill proficiency level.

Steve and Jordan talk with Maria Colacurcioabout using technology to reduce pay inequity based on gender bias and other non-job relevant employee characteristics. Maria is CEO for Syndio where she helps companies identify, understand, and correct situations where employees are being paid unfairly relative to their skills and contributions. Some things we cover:
+ Equitable pay does not mean equal pay and why it is hard to ensure people are paid fairly
+ The impact performance management has on achieving pay equity
+ Moving from pay for negotiation to pay for performance
We also explore whether changing the lighting changes the conversation.

Steve and Jordan talk with Sam Passman about using technology to support talent management activities such goal setting, coaching, performance management, and career development. Sam is VP Product Management at SAP SuccessFactors and has played a central role in building some of the most widely used learning and talent technology solutions in the market. Some things we cover:
+ Shifting talent management from an organizational driven to employee driven activity
+ How AI is changing how companies and employees do talent management
+ The importance of creating transparency in talent management practices
We also discuss musicals and almost break out into song, but thankfully come to our senses.

Steve and Jordan talk with Russ Fadel about using technology to support the training needs and job requirements of shop floor production workers. Russ, CEO at Augmentr brings a different perspective to HR technology coming from a background developing production technology systems. Some things we cover:
+ Unique challenges affecting production workers and operations workforces
+ The value of having better data on production worker skills and capabilities
+ Production worker attitudes toward technology that monitors their productivity and safety
We also learn why Google glasses never became cool in the world of manufacturing and the “beers with my boss” strategy for talent advancement.

 Steve and Jordan talk with Paul Rubensteinabout how to effectively collect and utilize workforce data to drive business results. Paul is the Chief Customer Officer for Vizier and has built a career based on a passion for using science and data to make better decisions about talent. Some of the things we cover:
+ Why data validity has and continues to be a fundamental challenge to the field of HR analytics
+ The importance of looking at data from the perspective of people who do not work in HR
+ What HR can learn from finance when it comes to making effective use of data
Steve and Jordan also learn what it means to be a “passenger princess”. 

Steve and Jordan talk with Mike Fitzsimmonsabout using technology to measure and improve quality of hire. Mike is the CEO of Crosschq and is focused on helping  companies improve their hiring intelligence through the use of data. Some things we cover:
+ The transformative impact created by accurately measuring the quality of hiring decisions
+ Factors impacting new hire performance that have nothing to do with the employee
+ The challenges to measuring and improving quality of hire at a holistic level
We also ponder why people persist in doing things that are clearly not working as intended. 

Steve and Jordan talk with Michael Grimm about design and use of technology that enables companies to effectively visualize and interpret workforce data. Michael is the founder of Ingentis, where he has helped hundreds of companies use technology to integrate, interpret and act on workforce, financial and operations data from multiple sources. Some things we cover:
+ The transformational power associated with being able to see data in a meaningful way
+ The value of using technology that is designed to work across different HR platforms
+ Why people are one of the biggest barriers to getting good data
We also learn the Latin word for genius and Steve tells a story about heated car seats. 

Steve and Jordan talk with Jenny Dearborn about using technology to support employee learning. Jenny is the Chief People Officer for BTS and has had a career focused on using technology to improve employee development. She also wrote the book Data Drivenon using workforce data to improve sales performance. Some things we cover:
+ Why traditional learning technology often fails to improve employee skills and performance
+ The value and limitations of using employee assessment tools to support development
+ Building learning programs that business leaders will value as being effective and relevant
 
We also learn to never ask a question unless you know what you will do with the answer

Steve and Jordan talk with Imran Sajid about the under-appreciated impact payroll technology has on organizational performance and employee experience. Imran is the Global HR and Payroll Technology Executive at EPI-USE and has spent a career deploying, developing and educating people on the use of complex global payroll solutions. Some things we cover:
+ The challenges of building technology where 99.99% accuracy is considered a total failure.
+ How providing employees insight and control over how they are paid affects their lives
+ Why seemingly small changes to pay practices can create massive logistical issues
 
Jordan is also forced to concede to Steve that the topic of payroll is actually very interesting.