Business Strategy

#HRTechChat: The Economics of HR – Speaking the Language of Business with Maria Scarangella

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In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts is joined by Maria Scarangella to tackle one of the most persistent challenges facing HR today: proving business value in a climate defined by cost pressure, efficiency mandates, and heightened executive scrutiny. Drawing on her 37-year career at GEICO—including leadership of a $2.5B P&L—and her current work building Marstella, Maria explains why HR risks losing its strategic seat when it speaks only in HR metrics instead of business outcomes. Together, they explore how quantifying the true cost of hiring, onboarding, training, and turnover can fundamentally change executive decision-making—from smarter workforce planning to more targeted investments in technology and development. Maria outlines why “a lot” is not a number, how lifecycle cost visibility creates accountability across leaders, and why […]

#HRTechChat: Jeff Smith of 15Five on Building Better Managers in the Age of AI

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In this episode of #HRTechChat, Nicole Roberts sits down with Jeff Smith, COO of 15Five, to unpack what it really takes to build better managers in an era of AI, constant change, and overflowing HR to-do lists. A psychologist by training with deep R&D and product experience, Jeff brings a rare lens on how organizations can redesign systems, expectations, and technology to truly support people leaders—not just measure them. They dig into the mounting pressure on HR and managers, the shift from “HR owns all people issues” to shared accountability, and why management has to be treated as a daily practice, not a one-time promotion. Jeff explains how tools like 15Five and Kona AI can turn everyday one-on-ones into continuous performance data, simplify review cycles, […]

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Analyst Insight: What Makes a Certified Great Place To Work Company

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Many careers pages today seem to carry a badge: “Great Place To Work Certified.” But to the job market, what does it typically signal, and where does it fall short? As an analyst engaging with HR leaders, employees, and HR tech vendors, it seems like Great Place To Work certification is seen less as the sole indicator of a “good company” and more as part of a body of evidence that includes retention statistics, internal mobility metrics, cultural trends, and employee feedback initiatives. Taking a Closer Look Great Place To Work (GPTW) is a workplace culture consultancy that has spent over 30 years researching employee experience and positioning itself as a global authority on workplace culture. GPTW says more than 10,000 companies across 60 countries […]

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Council Guest Post: HR Transformation: Effective Communication Strategies

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Building Trust and Engagement through transparent and effective communication Introduction The landscape of Human Resources (HR) is continuously evolving, driven by technological advancements, globalization, and changing workforce dynamics. As organizations seek to stay competitive, HR transformation has become a vital process. However, any transformation journey can be fraught with challenges, and one of the most critical aspects of navigating these challenges is ensuring transparent and effective communication. Effective communication strategies not only facilitate the smooth implementation of changes but also build trust and engagement among employees. The Importance of Communication in HR Transformation Initiative Communication is the lifeblood of any organizational change. In the context of HR transformation, it ensures that all stakeholders are informed, engaged, and aligned with the transformation goals. Transparent communication helps […]

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Video: Executive Turnover Is Disrupting Business – Here’s How to Keep Momentum

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In this video Nicholas Biron explores the rising challenge of short executive tenures, now averaging around 18 months, and how this trend disrupts organizational strategy, marketing plans, and product execution. Drawing on research and firsthand observations, Nicholas emphasizes the importance of leadership retention and institutional knowledge for business success. He cautions that frequent executive changes can stall momentum, create strategic uncertainty, and ultimately hinder organizational growth.

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GTM Innovators: The GEO Playbook – How Partner Marketing Fuels AI Discoverability with Michael Cole

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In this episode of GTM Innovators, host Kyle James sits down with Michael Cole, SVP of Marketing at Everflow, to explore how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is redefining the rules of search and discoverability. As AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini become the new front doors to information, long-tail SEO is giving way to a world driven by citations, partnerships, and authentic content. Michael shares how leading brands are adapting—building relationships with publishers, rethinking affiliate strategies, and creating human-led content that fuels visibility across AI-powered ecosystems. If you’ve ever wondered what replaces SEO in the age of AI, this conversation is your new playbook.  Subscript to GMT Innovators Series on the following platforms: SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/research-859405782 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLsoV6fwX4cpGR2Hg98rc1e1k2-cOqCbhb Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1gvDzcl0jxpPIfu9WYu6U4 iHeartReadio: https://iheart.com/podcast/258127960/ Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/gtm-innovators/PC:1001097038 iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gtm-innovators/id1790738579 Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1b000615-31cc-49dd-a5d8-f80d5098bf2d/gtm-innovators […]

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AT&T’s Market-Based Culture Shift and What It Reveals About the Future of Work – Part 1 of 2

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Part 1 of 2: Inside John Stankey’s Memo and the Rise of Market-Based Management at AT&T One piece of workplace-related news that I haven’t been able to get out of my head is the memo AT&T CEO John Stankey sent out to his company this summer. Stankey’s memo has garnered numerous (mostly negative) hot takes from analysts and influencers alike. Admittedly, I’m late to the party on addressing it. However, the reason I am now is because it seems to be evolving into an artifact of corporate transformation in real-time. I dove into the entirety of Stankey’s message and pulled out a few key concepts. Keep in mind, the “memo” is in fact a 4000-word essay that takes about 15 minutes to read on its […]

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theHRDIRECTOR: Lessons from HR Tech 2025 – How vendors can stand out in a crowded market

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Recently, I had the opportunity to attend HR Tech 2025 . After years of observing this industry as a customer and analyst, I came away both amazed and thoughtful about the state of HR technology and the way vendors communicate their innovations. The State of HR Technology Today The advancements in HR software over the past few years are nothing short of revolutionary. From AI-driven solutions to streamlined workforce management tools, the software on display at HR Tech 2025 has the potential to accelerate organizations’ capabilities by years—if deployed effectively. For end users, the key takeaway is clear: if you haven’t explored HR technology in the last few years, now is the time. The innovations showcased at this year’s event could fundamentally improve how HR […]

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theHRDIRECTOR: Is HR Tech in its “It’s Toasted” Era?

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One thing’s for sure in HR tech: everything is agentic AI. Or better yet, just “agentic.” In the frigid back conference halls of the Mandalay Bay convention center, past the food court, and up the escalator banks, the word “agentic” bounced across the walls and danced through the air. It’s the hot new thing. Everyone’s talking about it. And maybe that’s the problem. Over the course of the two and a half days at the 3Sixty Insights table, I was briefed, debriefed, and briefed again with vendors from across the HR tech industry. I met and spoke with many witty, intelligent, and forward-thinking people, all telling – or being told to tell – the same story. As an analyst, the result was often walking away […]

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Council Guest Post: When Early-Stage Companies Should Actually Use AI (It’s Rarer Than You Think)

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Last week, I wrote about the AI feature trap—how early-stage companies add AI to their products not because users need it, but because it sounds sophisticated. The farm implement metaphor from the Shelburne Museum struck a nerve: too many companies are picking up impressive-looking tools without understanding what problems they actually solve. But based on some emails I got (such language!), I feel compelled to make this statement: if you are building a native AI application, then you are not the companies I am talking about! AI is its own thing and there are myriad applications than should and are being built to take advantage of the incredible promise that AI represents.  I was referring to companies who are seeking to add AI to existing […]

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Council Guest Post: The Workplace AI Trap – When “Productivity Tools” Actually Make Work Harder

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Remember those mysterious farm implements from the Shelburne Museum I wrote about last week AI Is Not Always the Answer? Tools that clearly served important purposes in their time, but whose actual utility has been lost? That same disconnect between sophistication and usefulness is playing across the country as companies rush to deploy workplace AI. “We need to leverage AI to boost productivity,” executives announce, like archaeologists picking up an ancient tool and declaring it must be valuable because it looks complex. They’re so focused on having cutting-edge technology that they forget the most fundamental question every organization should ask: “Will this actually help our people do their jobs better?” With workplace AI spending projected to reach $79 billion by 2025, companies feel pressure to […]

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Analyst Insight: HR Techonomics & The Napster Effect

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Agentic AI is becoming table stakes, but the pricing model is broken for HR tech vendors. Given that platforms like ChatGPT are free for most HR tech users—or built into the existing fee structures for HR tech platforms—I fear that tying it to a zero-cost model may inadvertently propel HR tech AI into a fate similar to that of recorded music after Napster and the rise of music streaming. Napster proved to the world that music can be free, and the music industry never recovered from it. Record stores closed, artists suffered, and the music market was flooded with even more music, all of which was still available for free. Even decades later, when services like Apple Music and Spotify began to pop up, charging […]

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Winner Takes All: AI, Shareholders & the Future of Work

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Many HR tech companies’ go-to-market strategies are fixated on enhancing employee experience. There’s often a heavy emphasis on frontline efficiency achieved through a bottom-up approach to bolster business. They aim to help employees first, enabling them to be more productive, which in turn benefits the company as a whole. A significant part of this movement is facilitated through the use of AI as a vehicle to accelerate progress. At HR Tech 2025, there was a recurring emphasis on the concept of “human in the loop” — the idea that even with advancements in AI, such as agentic AI, human oversight will always be necessary for its actions. Many business and tech leaders argue that AI is meant to assist, rather than replace, workers. And this […]

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Council Guest Post: HR Transformation – Aligning HR Initiatives with the Organization’s Culture and Values

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A Roadmap to a Harmonious and Productive Transformation Introduction In today’s dynamic and competitive business landscape, organizations are increasingly recognizing the pivotal role of Human Resources (HR) in driving transformation and achieving strategic goals. A critical aspect of successful HR Transformation is aligning HR initiatives with the organization’s culture and values. This alignment ensures that HR policies and practices not only support business objectives but also resonate with employees, fostering a cohesive and engaged workforce. Understanding Organizational Culture Organizational culture is the set of shared beliefs, values, norms, and practices that shape the behavior and interactions of employees within an organization. It is the social glue that binds the organization together and influences how employees perceive their roles, responsibilities, and the link of their role […]