HR leaders are being asked to help everyone navigate AI at work. But many are still figuring out what it means for their own roles.
How do you guide an organization through a change you haven’t been trained for yourself? And what happens to the future talent pipeline if the work that once helped people start their careers begins to change?
My special guest today is Amy Dufrane, CEO of HRCI, and she’s simplifying how to future-proof HR in the age of AI.
We’ll talk about why HR professionals feel vulnerable, what leaders need to learn now, and why job design and succession planning can’t wait. We’ll also explore the part each of us plays in staying relevant as work changes.
We tackle and simplify all aspects of it, including:
- Why HR professionals can feel responsible for guiding AI adoption while still asking what it means for their own jobs.
- What changing opportunities for early-career workers could mean for the future leadership pipeline.
- Why HR needs to pay attention to organizational design, job design, and succession planning now.
- How managers can help people feel more comfortable learning and working with AI.
- Why each of us has a responsibility to keep developing our skills as work changes.
If you work in HR and have been wondering where to begin, this conversation is for you.
What’s catching my eye this week:
- 3 hours of (free) focus music for deep concentration - Quiet Quest - Study Music
- Mary’s book is out now! Buy Squash the Sunday Scaries: A Modern Playbook to Rebuild Trust, Transform Culture, and Reignite Your Workforce on Amazon now or your favorite bookstore!
- Hire Mary Baird, PHR to help you run a 30-day Employee Experience Accelerator to listen better to your workforce, rebuild trust in your senior leadership and improve culture at work - The Simplifiers
- 50 powerful questions to help you reflect - The Institute of You
- Meeting the Future: The Vital Role of Professional Development, a report shared by Amy and HRCI.
My challenge for you this week:
Choose one part of your role that AI is changing, and identify one skill you need to build to lead through that change. What’s one step you can take this week to start learning it? Share it with me, privately or publicly. Snap a photo of you doing the thing, and send me a DM over on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesimplifiers) for added accountability and support!
Episode sponsored in part by Goodboy Agency, providing employer branding redesigns for busy HR Teams:
This episode is brought to you in part by Goodboy, helping HR teams compete for top talent. Goodboy helps midsize companies strengthen their employer brand, attract better candidates, and fill open roles faster. From redesigning your careers page to running targeted recruitment campaigns, they’ll help your company stand out in a crowded talent market. Visit www.goodboyagency.com/simplifiers to learn more.
Links, books and apps mentioned:
Research: Canaries in the Coal Mine? Six Facts about the Recent Employment Effects of Artificial Intelligence - Stanford Digital Economy Lab
Report: Meeting the Future: The Vital Role of Professional Development - HRCI
Book: Turning On Machines: How the Rise of Artificial Intelligence Will Rewire the Way We Work, Live, and Love - Zac Engler
Book: The Rise of HR: Wisdom from 73 Thought Leaders - HRCI
Podcast: How to master the art of executive storytelling, featuring Libby Magliolo - The Simplifiers Podcast
Podcast: How to squash the Sunday Scaries (guided visualization) - The Simplifiers Podcast
Mary’s new book is out NOW on Amazon!
My new book, Squash the Sunday Scaries: A Modern Playbook to Rebuild Trust, Transform Culture, and Reignite Your Workforce, is out now — and you can buy it today on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or your favorite independent bookstore. It’s written for HR leaders, people managers, and anyone ready to make work better in a practical, human way. If you’ve been looking for simple tools to improve employee experience, rebuild trust, and create better results for your people and your business, this book is for you. Learn more, visit: https://www.thesimplifiers.com/book
About Amy Dufrane Ed.D, SPHR, CAE:
Amy Dufrane - She is the CEO of HRCI, a provider of learning and credentialing for HR professionals and organizations. With decades of experience in human capital management and employee wellness, she helps set global HR standards through ISO and has participated in White House initiatives on workplace standards and employee wellness. She has also been named one of HR Executive magazine’s top 100 HR Tech Influencers for the past four years.
Where Amy hangs out online:
Website: HRCI
LinkedIn: Amy Dufrane
Amy’s vote for the perfect guest on The Simplifiers Podcast:
Shaun Mayo - Chief People Officer of the Arizona Cardinals and host of Ketchup (Catch Up) with Mayo.
