The Power of Personalization in Workplace Well-Being
BY Carrie Snider November 13, 2025Workplace well-being starts with a simple but powerful idea, according to Larry Baider, VP of talent management, leadership & learning at AmeriHealth Caritas: it’s helping people flourish. “When we come to work, we’re not leaving parts of ourselves at home,” he said. “If people are going to flourish, we need to create infrastructures and mechanisms to help them do that, and it’s really our responsibility if we want to help them be successful,” he said during an executive panel discussion about personalizing well-being at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference. That philosophy has guided AmeriHealth Caritas in developing a holistic approach to employee well-being. Through partnership, the company worked to expand mental health support and launched Parallel, a new program offering assistance for caregivers, recognizing that employees often juggle caring for children, parents, and themselves. Baider also highlighted the importance of human connection, noting the company’s formal mentoring program and thriving associate resource groups, including those for veterans and emerging leaders. Flourishing also means growth and alignment, he says. AmeriHealth Caritas has reimagined its talent development to be skills-based, encouraging employees to learn, apply, and reflect on new skills. Leaders have modernized performance management by reducing ratings and focusing instead on connecting people better to the organization’s priorities through cascading goals.Personalization plays a crucial role in all of this, says Baider. Through AI-driven engagement surveys and adaptive learning tools, the company gains insight into individual and group needs. “It’s really about taking an ongoing, evolutionary approach to what you offer employees,” he said. Comprehensive, Personalized CareAs a physical therapist, John Grossman, clinical specialist at Sword Health, understands how truly unique individuals are. “No two people are the same,” he said. “They both could have back pain. We treat them completely differently.” That belief drives Sword Health’s mission to create technology-enabled, customized care that meets individuals where they are.Sword Health focuses on musculoskeletal (MSK) health, one of the top drivers of healthcare costs in the U.S., accounting for more than $400 billion annually. Their goal, Grossman says, is to help employers contain costs while improving employee well-being. The company’s virtual care model has proven highly effective, showing a 3.2:1 ROI, a 70% decrease in surgery intent, and a 64% reduction in depression. “It’s important that you partner with strategic partners that are able to show you that and justify that,” he said.Ximena Conde, reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, moderated the discussion Technology plays a critical role in delivering this personalized experience. Sword’s AI clinician, Phoenix, offers pre- and post-session, bi-directional communication with the members when they’re at home, while real-time biofeedback ensures that users perform exercises correctly. Physical therapists then use this data to “adjust, tailor, and modify a program for a member as they go through it,” Grossman added.Sword’s platform also accounts for each individual’s unique needs. “Someone who is a desk worker, someone who is in a warehouse—they’re going to need two different programs,” Grossman noted. “We’ve created programs that take into account the member’s goals, work demands, hobbies, and condition.” This helps to ensure that every participant receives the right support to reach their goals.Supporting Modern Family and Financial NeedsToday’s employees are looking for more than just a paycheck and a 401(k), panelists agreed. As Kendra Griffith, employee health & benefits client executive at Marsh McLennan Agency, says, “It’s no longer that kind of traditional paycheck and a 401(k)—that’s not the holistic financial need of the employee.” With more dual-income households than ever before, employers are being called to support the full spectrum of their workers’ financial and family responsibilities.Griffith highlighted paid leave as one of the most meaningful ways companies can make a difference. “I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention paid leave: paid leave for maternity, paternity, caregiving situations, adoption,” she said. “When employees feel financially supported to grow their families, they’re going to be more motivated to return to work and feel engaged through their employer.”Childcare has also become a critical focus area. Griffith described the cost of childcare in the U.S. as at a crisis, noting that employees are often forced to choose between their careers and family needs. Forward-thinking organizations are addressing this by offering childcare subsidies, on-site daycare, emergency care options, or even lifestyle accounts to help cover dependent care and other family-related expenses.These benefits do much to strengthen retention and engagement. As Griffith put it, “There are all these ways to impact the financial well-being of families that work for your organizations and contribute to your organizations.” Personalized Financial SupportSimilarly, at New York Life, personalization is built into the company’s financial well-being strategy. “This is an area where personalization matters deeply,” said Catherine DaGrossa, corporate VP of HR. Recognizing that employees’ financial needs vary across life stages, the company takes a multi-layered approach to provide meaningful, flexible options.One of the standout programs is New York Life’s student loan repayment benefit. Employees can earn $170 a month, up to $10,200 with no waiting period, DaGrossa says. This initiative directly helps relieve financial stress for employees managing educational debt while encouraging long-term financial stability. To complement this, New York Life offers one-on-one financial counseling to help them clarify their financial goals and develop confidence. Together, these benefits have made a measurable impact, with more than $14 million has been distributed through the student loan program alone.Beyond immediate support, New York Life invests in long-term educational and financial growth. Programs like tuition reimbursement, academic advising, and expanded group benefit solutions—covering critical care, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance—allow employees to make choices that fit their personal and family circumstances.The key, DaGrossa says, is intentional design. “One of the human truths is that employees want choice. Start with listening and then build it with inclusivity in mind.” By aligning financial benefits with individual goals, New York Life empowers employees to feel more secure, supported, and in control of their futures.Flexibility and Employee ConnectionCreating a culture of well-being starts with meeting employees where they are—literally and figuratively. At NFI Industries, flexibility and connection are central to that mission. “We’re a 24/7 organization,” said Melissa Winkelman, SVP of HR at the company. “So flexibility looks different for us. It’s about giving employees more control over their time, even in a nonstop environment.”To achieve that, NFI has adopted mobile technology that allows employees to request time off, trade shifts, and manage their schedules from their phones. “For our frontline workers, that’s been huge,” Winkelman said. “They can make adjustments on the go, which helps reduce stress and improve work-life balance.” The ability to manage schedules digitally also minimizes administrative bottlenecks and improves communication between managers and employees.Connection is another cornerstone of NFI’s well-being strategy. Through employee resource groups (ERGs) and peer networks, the company fosters inclusion, builds trust, and strengthens engagement. “We rely on our ERGs not just for cultural connection, but also for communicating wellness initiatives,” Winkelman said. “They help us reach people who might not check email every day but still need access to the same information.”These efforts are paired with listening tools like engagement surveys and stay interviews to ensure the company remains responsive. “We want to understand what our people value and what’s missing,” Winkelman said. By integrating flexibility, communication, and feedback, NFI creates a workplace where employees feel seen, supported, and connected, no matter their role or location.The panelists agreed that there is power in personalization. Companies are realizing that personalization isn’t a trend, rather it’s very much needed for workplace well-being. Whether through customized health programs, flexible scheduling, or targeted financial support, companies that listen to their employees and design benefits that reflect their unique needs see stronger engagement, higher retention, and greater overall satisfaction. Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Balancing Technology and Humanity in Recruiting Today’s Workforce
BY Jennifer Yoshikoshi November 13, 2025Allied Universal Security Services hired a candidate for a recruiting role that had a “fantastic” resume but limited recruiting experience. She played sports in high school and college, worked as a lifeguard, and had skills in sales. Although she didn’t check off all the boxes, her values and mindset made her the top candidate. Kelly Hunter, vice president of global talent acquisition at Allied Universal Security Services emphasized that while many companies use skills-based hiring methods, the truest sense of a candidate’s capabilities can be seen through a personality lens. During an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference, leaders dove into how they are able to make employee recruitment and hiring a more efficient and inclusive process.Human Connections and ValuesWhen she was hired 15 years ago, Hunter says she didn’t check every box that recruiters were looking for but her personal values are what made her the company’s best pick. Her story highlights that hiring is about more than a checklist, it’s about identifying the qualities that align with a company’s culture and long-term vision.She also considered that there is power in developing connections with not only candidates, but also within the hiring team. “Very commonly, we’ll get an email back from a hiring manager saying, ‘not a fit.’ That's not enough for me. I need more,” she said. “It’s being able to pick up the phone and hold those leaders accountable to know why [the candidate] was not the right fit. Help me understand the strengths and the challenges that that interview faced and give us more feedback.”Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor in chief, moderated the panel discussion about "Making Talent Acquisition More Efficient, Inclusive, and Personalized"In the hiring process, it’s also important to identify whether a candidate aligns with the company’s values and leadership during the interview, said Shaunique Adams, vice president, human resource business partner at M&T Bank.“Someone can technically have the skills, or the experience and then how often does it happen, where they show up there’s an (employee relations) issue, or there’s other things that come up from more of a personality fit that was kind of masked to a degree,” said Adams.The talent acquisition team at M&T Bank is also connecting with its existing employees and supporting them through their career within the company. Adams shared that the team hosts open town halls across the organisation and offers opportunities for employees to have their resumes reviewed. “One of the things I first noticed when I started was people were decades in the organization, moving around, and often with that, your resume may be a bit stale or you may not even have a resume because you’ve been there so long,” she said. As Generation Z candidates enter the workforce, the age range of talent continues to widen. María Julieta Casanova, global head of strategic HR business partners & talent acquisition at Corteva Agriscience, noticed that younger workers have an urge to be challenged and to utilize problem solving skills. Hunter added that Gen Z are seeking engagement, in-person interactions, and a sense of connection after spending years at home during the pandemic. They are eager to immerse themselves in environments with leaders that can help them build on their skills. Where to Use AI, and Where to Avoid ItWith technological advancements, talent acquisition leaders are finding ways to improve their work by implementing artificial intelligence platforms. M&T Bank and Corteva Agriscience are using Microsoft Copilot and Eightfold, an AI candidate screener. “The guidance that I received from my partners is that they find Eightfold to be even more effective than LinkedIn, Indeed, and all of those sourcing tools,” said Adams. The platform is able to screen candidates and elevate top talent for recruiters and sourcing teams to review. It allows companies to “unlock capacity for everybody in the talent acquisition team to spend more time in human interactions,” said Casanova.Eightfold has also allowed recruiters to maintain a database of past candidates under a reserve of skills that they are looking for in other job opportunities, Casanova says. “This technology is not just a tool, but also it unlocks more time for recruiters to do other things that are more strategic.”AI can help benefit recruiters in many ways, but there are also looming perceptions of the technology as deceiving. Hunter mentioned that companies are seeing bots applying for people and candidates using AI to answer interview questions over video calls. As these concerns rise, she highlights the continuous need for the human element.“During the pandemic, there were so many offers that happened virtually and they never met anyone,” said Hunter. “Now we’re really making it an emphasis to meet people in person, even if all the interviews went great, like, has anybody met them in person yet?”Casanova added that AI also involves a stronger awareness of privacy and compliance policies, which differ across the world. As more companies introduce AI platforms and new technology, change is necessary, she says. Jennifer Yoshikoshi is a local news and education reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Strategies for Effective Global Workforce Collaboration
BY Carrie Snider November 13, 2025In today’s global economy, collaboration is measured by an organization’s ability to bridge borders. As companies expand across continents, effective global workforce collaboration has become both a business necessity and a competitive advantage.At From Day One’s October virtual conference, HR leaders from global organizations shared the lessons they’ve learned leading diverse, distributed teams—offering a roadmap for turning global complexity into global strength. For global organizations, the success of an international assignment often hinges less on logistics and more on people. Ranjith Menon, senior VP of corporate HR at HGS, says that one of the most overlooked factors in global mobility is the well-being of the employee’s family. “The number one predictor for a failure of such an international assignment, according to me, is also the spouse or the partner’s adjustment in the country,” he said. “Most of the time we need to keep in mind that it’s a dual-career challenge.”While HR teams often focus on visas, compliance, and tax equalization, Menon believes the key to long-term success lies in supporting the full family experience. Employees may face isolation, culture shock, or challenges accessing healthcare and education for their children—factors that can quickly erode engagement. “No matter how much cross-cultural training or other support we provide to spouses and children, there is still a challenge that needs to happen,” he says. Creating “a home away from home” becomes essential for retaining both the talent and their commitment.Subadhra Sriram, founder of Workforce Observer, moderated the discussion among leaders (photo by From Day One)Repatriation, also known as the return home, is an equally critical phase that requires careful planning. Too often, employees worry they’ll be “out of sight, out of mind,” unsure how their new skills will be applied. “Our job doesn’t stop at sending someone successfully and helping them assimilate in the foreign country,” Menon says. “It also involves bringing them back successfully and making sure all those experiences are properly utilized in the home country organization.”At HGS, that process starts early. Employees are paired with a mentor in their home country who stays in touch during the assignment, ensuring a smooth reintegration that brings both global insight and renewed engagement to the team. Building Psychological Safety Across CulturesFor global teams to thrive, collaboration depends not only on structure and technology but on trust—something that can look very different across regions and cultures. Jennifer Cone, director of process, experience & analytics for talent acquisition at Intel, says the key is listening deeply and responding with cultural sensitivity. “We overcome psychological safety challenges by not just listening, but hearing and reacting to what employees in each of the regions are saying,” she said. “What feels like growth and opportunity in one culture can feel very different in another.”At Intel, the emphasis is on creating practices that foster inclusion and mutual respect, regardless of geography. Cone observed that after the pandemic pushed teams to remote work, many initially faced “meeting overload.” But over time, teams discovered better rhythms of communication. “It’s more about the practices—the cadence and regularity that builds trust,” she said. “You have to create predictability in how people connect.”Part of that trust comes from designing structures that support global employees. Cone advised organizations in the audience to be thoughtful and intentional about their org design. When expanding internationally, it helps to co-locate at least two employees together, rather than leaving a single person to work alone across borders. “Two people in a location have more of a sense of connection and belonging,” she said.She also emphasized that compliance and transparency are foundational to safety. “Compliance should be built into the process and tools, not treated as an add-on,” she said. By integrating global standards with local flexibility, Intel creates consistency without sacrificing regional authenticity.Ultimately, Cone believes psychological safety is a discipline. “It’s about creating the space where people can bring their full selves to work,” she said, “and know that their perspectives, no matter where they sit in the world, are valued.”Leveraging Technology and Local ExpertiseAs global workforces become increasingly distributed, organizations must bridge not only time zones but also cultural and regulatory divides. Roberta Richards, HR director at Netcracker Technology, oversees HR strategy for more than 12,000 employees working on telecommunications software projects worldwide. What makes the company unique is that many of the employee teams are sitting at customer sites in different countries, rather than centralized in one office, Richards says. This decentralized model demands both technological agility and cultural intelligence.Technology plays a vital role in keeping these far-flung teams connected. “We have different WebEx IM chats, multiple group chats, and tools to send messages to entire teams or the entire company,” she said. The organization has also leaned on Zoom recordings and AI-powered transcription to make global communication more inclusive. “I think people are still trying to figure out how to adopt AI as a tool in their company,” she said, “but it’s going to be a major influence in how we collaborate moving forward.”Still, even the most advanced technology can’t replace local knowledge. When Netcracker enters a new country, Richards said the company relies on in-country partners to navigate compliance and cultural nuances. “It’s okay to rely on local experts,” she emphasized. “They’re going to know the law inside and out, what confidentiality covenants you can include in contracts, and so on.”Ultimately, success comes from balancing global consistency with local adaptability. “We have multiple cultures working on projects in new countries that no one’s ever worked in before,” she said. “So trying to determine those cross-cultural collaborations between the teams and communication is essential.” By pairing smart technology with trusted local expertise, Netcracker builds stronger, more resilient global teams.As global workforces continue to evolve, one truth remains: collaboration begins with connection. Whether that connection comes from helping an employee’s family adjust abroad, building psychological safety across cultures, or combining digital tools with local expertise, the heart of collaboration is understanding.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photo by VectorMine/Shutterstock)
Learning Through Practice: Redefining Skill Development With Experiential Learning
BY Tabitha Cabrera November 12, 2025According to a recent study, “around 90% of C-suite executives believe their company pays attention to people’s needs when introducing new technology, but only about half (53%) of staff say the same.” Saurav Raj, product marketing leader at Whatfix, shared this disconnect during a From Day One webinar about Learning Through Practice. During the session, Raj shared how experiential learning can cut costs and time within organizations, especially when technology is constantly changing. “ The experience gap matters,” Raj said. When you don’t have a clear and accurate understanding of how your people use technology in their jobs, and what they need and want from those tools, their overall experience at work can suffer.” Digitalization Surges, Connections LagWorldwide software spending is expected to increase by about 10% according to Gartner. Meanwhile, research shows, the worldwide spending on corporate training expected in 2025 is 417 billion dollars. At Whatfix, Saurav Raj leads product marketing (company photo)Raj highlights the balance between investing in technology and investing in training. Most employees use multiple software systems daily, meaning training is required for each application, says Raj. “So innovation can be a boon for us and for our customers, but at the same time, it can be a bane because we are continuously upgrading our software. The learners or the users need to be trained continuously so that they can use these new features,” he said. He emphasized that individuals learn differently, so training cannot be one size fits all.The way we learn also continues to change. Consumption has shifted from passive to on-demand. Services like Uber and Netflix illustrate this new on-demand approach. “The way people learn has changed,” Raj said. This on demand approach to the world around us can be implemented in the training environment with technology. The need for hands-on and experiential learning has never been greater. Why? Rapid technological changes mean that without investing in training, investing in technology is pointless—people simply won’t use it. If employees aren’t engaged, they won’t perform better on the job, no matter the tools they have.Additionally, information needs to be bite sized. “If you are imparting a hands-on learning, a hands-on approach to your learning, your employees are going to retain that knowledge, and they are going to implement that knowledge when they are going live in their working environment,” he said.Reimagining Experiential Learning With Simulations You can’t train every employee the same way, and there need to be solutions that work for everyone. “Experiential learning needs to be scalable, and simulation is one way to do that.” Simulations make your training scalable and open up training for employees to make mistakes. In simulation learning, “your learners engage in real world role-based scenarios, where they practice on real world workflows, where they practice on real world customer conversations, or where they make decisions as they would do in a real world,” Raj said. “And based upon this practice, they get immediate and actionable feedback. They get to learn what has worked and what has not worked.” Raj shared details about Whatfix’s development of Mirror, a Gen AI simulation training platform for customer-facing teams. Mirror has three major capabilities. System Simulation lets you create replica training environments of your applications, providing risk-free process or back-end training for employees. Conversational Role Play allows your customer-facing team to interact with AI avatars for realistic role-playing scenarios. Analytics and Assessment helps evaluate and certify users, determining whether they are ready to use live systems or engage directly with customers, says Raj. In today’s fast-paced tech world, delivering scalable, streamlined experiential learning isn’t just about saving money, it’s about giving employees the time and support they need to thrive amid constant technology updates.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Whatfix, for sponsoring this webinar. Tabitha Cabrera, Esq. is a writer and attorney, who has a series of inclusive children's books, called Spectacular Spectrum Books. (Photo by M.photostock/iStock)
Embedding Company Values Into the Daily Work Experience
BY Ade Akin November 12, 2025“My life mantra is lift as I climb,” Geneva Brown said during an executive panel discussion at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference. Brown, the chief sustainability and inclusion officer at the Cigna Group, says that culture begins with small, deliberate steps, such as setting aside a calendar block for employee calls, leaving a reminder note to follow up, or maintaining an unwavering commitment to creating safe spaces. Brown and a panel of other leaders shared thoughts on the topic “Culture That’s Real: Translating Company Values Into Everyday Reality,” to discuss the everyday mechanics of company culture, including how organizations listen to employees, turn feedback into action, and adopt new technologies without losing sight of the human skills that matter. “You may not have solutions to every issue, but that ability to pause and listen is critically important,” Brown said. Her team reserves an hour each day for outreach and keeps a running checklist to ensure team members feel heard. Martel Neville, VP of HR at Comcast, echoed that sentiment. “Let's just remember the golden rule, which is, treat others as you want to be treated,” he added. Neville outlined a mix of quarterly and annual surveys used at Comcast, as well as mandatory team huddles to review feedback and track escalations. These team huddles are how leaders figure out how to “listen, learn, and act,” he said.Turning Feedback Into ActionThe panelists went on to share systems that address employee concerns once their feedback has been received, including tools that route issues, assign them, and display status updates. Tracking escalations and their solutions creates transparent, accountable follow-through, says Neville. It’s important to push beyond surveys toward systems that close gaps. Neville described tracking escalations “so people could actually, literally click it to watch it go, to progress inside the organization.” That transparency converts sentiment into visible, accountable change.Angie Parsons, the director of product marketing at Beekeeper, emphasized the connection between communication gaps and cultural gaps: “If you have leadership mandating certain things, but the frontline workers aren't getting the same communication streams, then you're already creating a lot of disconnect.” Her solution is an employee experience hub that centralizes messages and makes organizations more inclusive for shift and frontline workers. Recognition As CultureThe way people are seen, heard, and recognized also informs workplace culture. To Omar Pradhan, recognition is “the opportunity to have a thoughtful, deliberate pause.”Ariella Cohen, deputy managing editor, news, at the Philadelphia Inquirer, moderated the sessionPradhan, an employee engagement and HR technology strategist at Workhuman, shared how their platform utilizes impact-focused language, making recognition a record of behavior and a source of data for informed talent decisions. “Recognition can also be a revealer of the skills that people are demonstrating over time and readiness for promotion,” he said. That combination, utilizing recognition to validate employees personally and as a system of record analytics, enables companies to celebrate individuals while revealing patterns that managers can act upon. Embrace AI, But Keep Things HumanIn exploring new ways to strengthen communication and accountability, Brown described how she’s using AI to draft prompts for difficult conversations and to design exercises that encourage proactive ownership of follow-through and results.Additionally, organizations can use AI to “synthesize all the information” gathered from surveys to highlight trends managers should address, said Parsons. As AI transforms the workplace, Neville noted that companies are beginning to prioritize human skills over technical ones—empathy, clarity, and leadership behaviors. “Clarity is kindness,” he said, citing researcher Brené Brown, whose work explores courage, vulnerability, and empathy.AI’s role is to scale insights and free up time; people still must do the human work of translating those insights into productive outcomes, panelists agreed. Building Community and BelongingVolunteer days and community engagement remain powerful ways to strengthen workplace culture. Neville described “Team Up” volunteer opportunities, which give employees a sense of purpose and belonging while also fostering stronger connections across teams.Parsons offered an example of how community engagement can extend beyond the workplace. During Hurricane Helene, customers used Beekeeper’s platform to self-organize cleanup crews and raise funds. “Bringing that community element to work,” she said, “was really, really important,” highlighting how purpose and collaboration strengthen both company culture and broader communities.To end the session, panelists offered one question every HR leader should ask. Brown’s was simple and probing: “Did I create space for someone?” Pradhan asked, “How do we bring the culture off the walls?” Parsons focused on managers, “How am I leveraging my middle managers to the best of their ability?” Neville boiled it down to outcomes: “How am I helping the folks that are in my arena to thrive?”Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
The Global Playbook for AI-Powered Work: How Pacesetters Win Across Borders
BY Christopher O'Keeffe November 11, 2025In today’s global economy, the lines between local teams and international strategy have blurred. Yet many companies still struggle to unify their people, systems, and insights across borders. That’s where the next generation of “pacesetter” organizations are pulling ahead—by using AI not just to automate work, but to integrate it.At From Day One’s October virtual conference, Rebecca Warren, director of talent-centered transformation at Eightfold AI spoke with Kathi Enderes, SVP and global industry analyst at the Josh Bersin Company, sharing insights on how leaders are redefining the architecture of global work. Drawing on Bersin’s multi-year Global Workforce Intelligence Project, Enderes and Warren unpacked how companies can align global strategy with local execution, build “superworker” teams, and use AI as a connective force in a fragmented world.Understanding the Global Workforce Intelligence Project“The big idea behind this was, let’s look at industry by industry,” Enderes said. “What skills globally does this industry have? What skills are rising, what skills are declining, what roles are emerging, what roles are declining, and what organizational solutions are actually prevalent in this industry to solve the biggest business problems?” Enderes posed. The project, developed in collaboration with Eightfold, draws insights from a massive dataset, around 1.5 billion worker profiles, says Warren. From healthcare to financial services, the research revealed a unifying principle among top-performing global companies, what Enderes calls skills velocity. “It means always staying on top of changing skills requirements and then recruiting, retaining, developing these critical skills with speed and at scale,” she said. “The talent pool has become increasingly global. A lot of times you actually can’t find talent in your country, in your location. You have to think about a global perspective as well.”The findings point to a fundamental shift: the best companies are not just digitizing; they are continuously re-skilling—using AI to anticipate change before it hits.Global Strategy, Local ExecutionWhile AI can unify a global strategy, Enderes says that its success depends on cultural nuance and regional adaptation. “I think it’s critically important actually to have a global strategy and to have local implementation,” she said. “Design and strategy globally, and execution and implementation locally.”She pointed to the need for what she called a “glocal” mindset, “balancing the global perspective, the global mindset, the global approach, with, of course, how you execute needs to be local.”Rebecca Warren of Eightfold AI spoke with Kathi Enderes of the Josh Bersin Company during the thought leadership spotlight (photo by From Day One)That duality is especially vital in an era of regulation and complexity. “You need to be aligned with the laws and with the regulations of your country,” Enderes said, “but with the mindset of all marching into the same direction, all using AI, for example, for what purpose, for what end, how we want to use it.”For multinational organizations, this balance between centralized strategy and local flexibility defines not only compliance—but agility.Building Talent Density and “Superworker” TeamsCentral to Bersin’s framework is the concept of talent density, a principle borrowed from Netflix’s “keeper test” approach. “They see their company not as a family, but as sports teams, like high-performing Olympic teams,” said Enderes. Every employee, she says, is evaluated on their ability to elevate the team’s collective performance. But individual skill is only part of the equation. “You can’t just hire high performers,” Warren added. “You’ve got amazing people, and they’re running this way, and somebody else is running that way, but if they’re not complementary, if they don’t work together, that’s a challenge of trying to get the team right.”AI-powered talent intelligence provides the visibility leaders need to identify complementary skills and “move people around to create that high performance,” said Enderes. Employees often have adjacent or underused skills, hidden strengths that can expand their impact across teams and regions. “Every single one of us has these meandering career paths,” she said. “That’s why talent intelligence is so important.”Rewiring the Organization With AIWhen implemented well, AI becomes the infrastructure that unites global strategy, local execution, and people insight. “The biggest advantage, of course, is you can actually solve the business problems,” Enderes said. “Because when you have AI around it, you’ll get better insights, more connected insights—insights that connect actually the business strategy with your HR strategy and your people strategy.”“AI is an accelerator to bring together globally and across functions,” she added. “Not just HR functions, but business functions, the entire organization.”As Warren concluded, the pacesetter companies showcased in the research all share one common trait: agility. “It’s that ability to solve bigger problems, with bigger brains, bigger superworkers, bigger teams,” she said. “AI makes the world even smaller and more manageable, because now it’s easier than ever to get insights from the entire organization and the entire world.”The new global playbook isn’t just about technology—it’s about orchestration. As Enderes put it, “AI makes the world even smaller and more manageable.” But behind the algorithms, the core challenge remains deeply human: how to design systems that amplify talent rather than fragment it.In the “superworker” era, the most successful organizations will be those that think globally, act locally, and use AI not as a replacement for people, but as the connective tissue that helps them thrive together, across time zones, cultures, and borders.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Eightfold AI, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photo by skynesher/iStock)
Building a Borderless Workforce With Creativity, Culture, and AI
BY Katie Chambers November 11, 2025Marketing and advertising firm Ogilvy is careful never to refer to itself as a “legacy” organization, despite its storied history. “It feels a little stodgy,” Maria O'Keeffe, global chief people officer, Ogilvy, said during a fireside chat at From Day One’s October virtual conference. “We are a founder culture. There was one individual [David Ogilvy] who created Ogilvy. We believe in being a legendary brand.” The organization’s legendary status is rooted in its work's ability to transcend geography and culture. And it does this not only through its products, but within its corporate culture as well. During the session moderated by Nicole Smith, editorial audience director at Harvard Business Review, O’Keeffe shared how the firm builds a borderless workforce by integrating talent across regions while honoring local identities. Borderless Creativity Ogilvy’s workforce is spread across 120 offices in 90 countries, with major clients including the Coca-Cola Company, IBM, Nestle, Unilever, and PWC, to name just a few. “We have breadth and depth pretty much in every corner of the world that you can possibly imagine,” O’Keeffe said.The organization’s “borderless creativity”" approach shapes its business. “It defines both how we work and what our end product should look like,” she said. The client’s ad campaign is always the priority, then internal talent is matched to it regardless of their location. And the end product is just as “borderless” as the talent that creates it. “We want to ensure that our campaigns are multifaceted and not single output, so they can be interpreted culturally very differently from market to market,” O’Keeffe said. Nicole Smith of Harvard Business Review interviewed Maria O'Keeffe of Ogilvy during the fireside chat (photo by From Day One)One of Ogilvy’s most iconic examples of this approach, O’Keeffe says, is its work for longtime global client Dove. Ogilvy’s “borderless creativity” has kept Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign alive and relevant for decades across diverse markets. For example, Ogilvy is helping Dove get the Crown Act passed in the United States, to help combat racial discrimination against Black women in the workplace due to cultural hair styles. Meanwhile in London, Ogilvy and Dove launched the “Turn Your Back” campaign, encouraging young women not to use filters on social media to alter their true appearance, but instead to turn their back to the camera. While the elements of both campaigns are country-specific, the themes and goals are universal. “Those are examples of [how] we try to find the issue in the local market and then create a campaign that can be borderless and applicable across the board,” O’Keeffe said. Building Culture Across BordersDespite its global spread, Ogilvy maintains a cohesive culture among all its employees from the moment they join the team. “Every single new employee goes through a global onboarding that is consistent in every market. We have it translated into multiple languages to make it something that people truly understand,” O’Keeffe said. “Our values are global, and we don’t deviate from those values. Those are disseminated, they’re on walls, they’re on documents, they’re in communications.” But the organization also recognizes that naturally, there will be cultural differences from office to office and country to country, and that diversity should be embraced. “There’s certain tenets of the agency, like borderless creativity, that drill down into every single employee's experience,” she said. “But from there, we recognize that every region and every market has different cultures, and so we rely upon the leaders and team members in those markets to create a culture that is complementary to the global one, but very personal to the local one.” This is accomplished by having the company’s inclusion and impact teams create employee resources groups that respect the needs of each market. “Our expectation is that we meet people where they are through local leadership and regional leadership.” Technology is the key to building this culture quickly and effectively, O’Keeffe says. Ogilvy broadcasts local, regional, and global town halls to encourage ongoing and open communications that feel “conversational.” Employee surveys can help drive data, but rather than a cold email detailing the results, O’Keeffe and her team will create a video sharing the stats to make it more personal. Quick and efficient communications have also been integral in tackling recent political turmoil that can affect employees. The changes to H1B visas, which now cost $100K as opposed to the previous cost of just a few thousand dollars, “impact the decisions that you make around your workforce globally [including] talent acquisition and workforce planning,” said Smith. For HR, O’Keeffe says, knowledge is power. Stay on top of the latest news, find out how other organizations are navigating the changes, and rely on partnerships with governments and agencies to help you understand best practices. Tackling Changing TechnologiesAdvancements in AI are changing the way employees do business at Ogilvy. But it’s also inspiring some trepidation in workers who fear being replaced by machines. O’Keeffe and her team have stayed on top of the messaging and encouraged early adoption. “We pride ourselves on the human brain, and the creative product that comes out of that,” she said. Employees are encouraged to use Ogilvy’s proprietary AI tool WPP Open each day. “It gives us AI as a creative partner. It helps us mock-up ideas quickly,” she said. AI can also provide feedback on cultural nuance, letting employees know whether an idea that works in one region could have a negative connotation in another. And workers in administrative roles use AI to create outlines and summarize meetings, saving them time and boosting efficiency. Organizations must embrace AI to stay relevant, O’Keeffe says. “I don’t know a company that will survive without doing that.” AI adoption hasn’t been formally written into the organization’s strategy and KPI’s yet, she says, because “we wanted it to be a voluntary, comfortable, safe space for people.” For now, Ogilvy is monitoring AI usage on employee laptops to better understand how it’s used, whether it’s effective, and if additional training is needed. O’Keeffe says Ogilvy embraces a notion of “divine discontent.” “We never want to be too comfortable. This is an industry that is made up of diverse perspectives and diverse ideas, and so ‘divine discontent’ for us means hearing different perspectives in uncomfortable ways. We debate and we disagree and we poke holes in the work deliberately, because it’s important that the work that we do is culturally relevant,” she said. All of this comes down to a willingness to learn and grow, which has been a core tenet of O’Keeffe’s own career. She encourages anyone working in HR who wants to move into a global position to adopt an inquisitive attitude. Earlier in her career, she actively sought out opportunities that allowed her to travel and meet workers from around the world, far outside her home base of Chicago, and has now been in global leadership positions for nearly 10 years. “You have to be curious. You have to be open to new experiences, new ways of doing things, new points of view,” she said. “Listen. Ask a lot of questions. Be uncomfortable. Raise your hand for the things that you’ve never done before with people you’ve never done it with.”Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photo by Noko LTD/iStock)
The Science of Positive Change: Making HR Initiatives Stick
BY Stephanie Reed November 10, 2025Making HR initiatives stick is a science: behavioral science. With it, organizations can overcome the intention-action gap, the intention to fulfill a goal, but not achieve it because of underlying mental and psychological deterrents. “We think, if we give people the information, they’re going to take it in, they’re going to analyze it consciously, rationally,” said Suzanne Kirkendall, CEO, North America of BVA Nudge Consulting. But that doesn’t happen without effective positive reinforcement. Underlying negative or maladaptive behavioral patterns hinder proactivity and productivity. If organizations want to meet KPI goals, these must be considered when developing initiatives. The company’s methodology integrates behavioral interventions, guiding organizations in achieving sustainable positive behavioral changes in their employees, Kirkendall shared during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference. The Four Key Pillars to Embrace Something NewDuring the session Kirkendall outlined four key pillars that every organization should embrace when taking on major initiatives.The first pillar is to design initiatives with simplicity in mind—fewer links, fewer steps, and clear, easy-to-follow instructions for teams. Even small adjustments can make a big difference. For example, removing just one step from a benefits enrollment process can boost completion rates, while a streamlined platform experience keeps employees more engaged.Suzanne Kirkendall, MPH, SHRM-SCP, is CEO, North America at BVA Nudge Consulting The second pillar is to communicate with meaning. An example of this is in hospitals that reframe custodial work from being monotonous tasks to critical objectives in helping patients see improved employee performance and job satisfaction, she says. Additionally, a more compelling call-to-action highlights the professional benefits of employees completing reviews or a questionnaire, which improves response rates. “This is all about acknowledging your accomplishments. You work hard. You deserve to have that acknowledged. This is about your career growth. That’s exciting, that’s inherently motivating for people.”The third pillar is to harness social proof. Influential messengers such as a manager’s name or signature can boost engagement. Let employees know when others are completing a specific task, and include the number of peers who have finished their reviews in future emails. When employees see their colleagues taking action, they are more likely to do the same.Lastly, the fourth pillar is timeliness. This means delivering information precisely when employees need it and sending reminders at the most effective times, whether by day, week, or around upcoming holidays.For example, a BVA client with a two-week deadline for annual employee reviews designed their emails to drive proactive responses. They placed a prominent red button at the top as a clear call-to-action, kept instructions simple, and made the communication personal and engaging, starting with a subject line crafted to motivate recipients to open the email.“We use personalization, of course, by making sure that their name was in there, pretty straightforward, but also personalization as it related to their journey,” Kirkendall said. Then, using a particular cadence, the client communicated as a leader giving guidance, contrasting the typical cadence of an automated message. The client proceeded by mentioning how many people have already completed the process. This encouraged quicker engagement.Finally, the client was advised to send the information so that employees can take action immediately. That meant avoiding sending reminders on holidays.Why Strategic, Positive Reinforcement is Necessary Behavioral science combines social psychology, organizational psychology, neuroscience, and more to assess human behavior. According to Kirkendall, there are four reasons why science-backed strategic and positive reinforcement are necessary to drive sustainable positive behavioral changes.The first reason is that we’re inherently biased. People operate on autopilot unconsciously to navigate life’s challenges more easily.The second reason is that we make decisions depending on context. How someone phrases a situation or how they’re dressed will provoke different actions and reactions.Third, we’re affected by our emotions. Kirkendall recalls how people who, due to brain injury or illness, experience greater difficulty making decisions because of emotional dysregulation.Lastly, we’re pro-social: we care about others’ opinions and want to be accepted by people we relate to. Therefore, acknowledging these underlying social and psychological factors helps leaders strategize positive reinforcement. This bridges the intention-action gap in completing initiatives. Kirkendall calls this nudging, which is the essential component of the BVA Nudge. “So nudging is all about looking at the moment of decision and saying, ‘How can I shape the context of this moment to make the desired behavior the easiest behavior? And how can I remove friction between the current and desired state?’”Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, BVA Nudge Consulting, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Stephanie Reed is a freelance news, marketing, and content writer. Much of her work features small business owners throughout diverse industries. She is passionate about promoting small, ethical, and eco-conscious businesses(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Empathy at Scale: Leading a Global Workforce With Cultural Intelligence
BY Ade Akin November 07, 2025Courtney White didn’t have a foolproof playbook to guide him when he started his two-decade career in global leadership. What he had was a set of assumptions that included a belief that organizational culture could be scaled like a process and that clarity was a universal concept. “What I found out over my time is that I was wrong,” White said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s October virtual conference. “Global workforce leadership isn’t just about strategy. It’s about stewardship. It really doesn’t require an individual to be everywhere. It just requires you to be deeply somewhere.”White, the head of HR for agricultural solutions, North America at BASF, was interviewed by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, a business reporter at The Seattle Times, to discuss the nuances of managing international teams. He shared many hard-earned lessons, framing them as “tuition” paid for the masterclass in empathy, adaptability, and context that his experience in global leadership has given him. White says his first global project didn’t go to plan, primarily because he assumed the strategies he had successfully used in the U.S. would work for Latin America until a colleague gently pulled him aside to say, “We don’t do business before we do people.”“That was a moment that really resonated with me,” White said. “It cracked open my understanding that it really wasn’t about mastering geography. It was about mastering empathy, adaptability, and context.”The Three Pillars of Global LeadershipWhite turned his experience managing international teams into a core leadership philosophy that’s built on three strategies. First, elevate cultural intelligence by treating it as a critical leadership skill rather than a soft skill.Second, practice time zone empathy by using calendars thoughtfully to create a more inclusive environment and ensure team members aren’t consistently burdened by inconvenient hours.And lastly, champion local autonomy while maintaining global alignment—a balance that, as White notes, drives innovation and keeps teams accountable.White discussed a transformation project involving a Canadian team that was given the freedom to localize the rollout. “They didn’t just deliver it. They reimagined what could be done,” White said. Their version was so effective that it was adopted globally. “When you give people the room to lead, they don’t just often meet expectations, they redefine them.”The Pitfall of the "One-Size-Fits-All" PlaybookWhite notes that one of the most common traps for global leaders is the belief that “your way is the right way.” He recalled a time when he had to defend a global rollout that had failed in two of five regions. His choice was to double down or own the failure. He chose the latter.This mindset also impacts career development. A high-potential employee in Mexico was once passed over because she didn’t self-promote, as it conflicted with her cultural norms. “If you’re using the same playbook for career growth in Tokyo, Toronto, or Texas, you’re not advocating,” White said. “You’re assuming.”Courtney White of BASF spoke with Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton of the Seattle Times on the subject "Empathy at Scale: Fostering Global Collaboration" (photo by From Day One)This realization led White and his team at BASF to implement a “broad banding” system for careers that’s designed to honor local norms while operating within the organization’s global framework. “Talent shouldn’t be limited to geography or even cultural biases,” he said.White also learned the importance of time zone empathy the hard way, after scheduling a recurring meeting that was perfect for him, but required his colleague to join him at midnight. When he realized his error when the person missed his call, he apologized. “Inclusion has to be a practice, and time zone empathy is bigger than logistics,” White said. He and his team now rotate meeting times and rely more on asynchronous tools. “It’s another sign of leadership when the systems are designed such that they respect the fact that people have lives and not just output. You can’t build trust in a time zone you ignore.”The Secret Ingredient: Nuance in CommunicationCommunication is everything in a world where companies are increasingly made up of globally dispersed teams. White says nuance is the “secret ingredient” that makes conversations productive. He learned this lesson after telling a colleague at BASF’s German headquarters he needed something “ASAP.” They delivered it in 24 hours, though he had just meant sometime that week. The tone, timing, and translation of words all matter enormously. Now, White makes a habit of asking, “How did that land?” instead of assuming his message was understood.“Words travel fast,” White said. “What I’ve also learned, though, is that meaning doesn’t. And so as intentional as we are with the words, we have to be as intentional with the meaning.”Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(NanoStockk/iStock)
How Embracing Neurodiversity Unlocks Organizational Potential
BY Ade Akin November 06, 2025At From Day One’s Philadelphia conference, Mike Civello, principal, global neurodiversity strategy at RethinkCare, opened his thought leadership spotlight session with: “Hello, I’m Mike Civello. I’m neurodivergent.” Civello stands as proof that neurodivergence isn’t a barrier to leadership. And his experience isn’t unique; a 2024 study found that 32% of senior management, 45% of C-level executives, and 55% of business owners identify as neurodivergent. Companies can no longer afford to ignore this reality. During his session, Civello dismantled outdated views on neurodiversity and made a case for why hiring neurodivergent team members and leaders is essential for retention, innovation, and an organization’s bottom line. He reframes the concept as a widespread aspect of human variation that provides significant organizational value when supported.The Gap in the WorkforceMany companies view neurodiversity primarily through the lens of hiring, focusing on whether and how to include neurodivergent talent in their recruitment efforts. “Around 20 to 30% of your people are neurodivergent” Civello said, citing common diagnoses like autism, ADHD, and dyslexia. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve hired them or not, that’s a third of your population coming and working every day.”Mike Civello of RethinkCare spoke about "Unlocking Your Organization’s Full Potential"Those numbers clash with disability disclosure rates that are typically around 1 to 4%, says Civello. “What’s happening? For a huge group of people, a very small group of people are disclosing. So there’s a big gap.”This gap means that managers are navigating team dynamics without fully understanding the root causes. “The number one reason that neurodivergent talent leaves the workforce is because they have friction with their colleagues and manager, and they’re leaving without even telling you that they were neurodivergent and needed help,” Civello said. On the other hand, the business benefits of neurodivergent talent are undeniable. Civello cites reports from companies like JPMorgan Chase and Microsoft, which have identified neurodivergent talent as showing “exponentially higher rates of productivity, loyalty and innovation” compared to their neurotypical counterparts.It’s clear that supporting neurodiverse talent isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s also great for a company’s bottom line. “It is good for your company,” Civello said. “Every organization that has some level of neurodiversity program has exponential returns financially.”Shifting From a Deficit to a Growth ModelThe traditional perception of neurodivergence as a shortcoming has been a significant barrier to progress. “The traditional view is that something like neurodivergence is some sort of personal tragedy. It doesn’t have to be,” Civello said. Instead, he asks managers and leaders to look at culture holistically, asking, “What could be in someone’s way from being their unique, gifted self?”He recommends integrating support for neurodivergent staff into broader, growth-oriented initiatives that benefit everyone, rather than creating stigmatized “neurodiversity programs.” “Why not label it professional resilience and career pathing? Everybody needs it,” Civello said. This approach helps create a culture where all employees have access to the tools they need to thrive, instead of managers trying to diagnose their teams. “I can’t explain to you why I can handle nine things at once and arrive at the conclusion in a meeting long before everybody else,” he shared. “I don’t know why my brain can redesign your entire benefits plan in two minutes, but I can’t get one slide done for the board meeting on time.” For Civello, the solution to turning his neurodivergence into an asset wasn’t just getting therapy for his comorbid anxiety and depression; it was getting “executive function support” for skills like time management. “Once I got that done, I was a really efficient employee,” he added. A Lifespan Approach to SupportCivello emphasizes that neurodiversity is a lifelong attribute, not something that’s temporary. This reality requires organizations to expand corporate support to include the families of employees. “Neurodiversity doesn’t just happen at work; it happens at home,” he said, noting the immense strain on parents, particularly. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared a parental mental health crisis, which is amplified for caregivers of neurodivergent children.He recommends applying the exact growth-oriented positioning to family support. Instead of asking, “Does your child have a disability?” frame resources around “helping your child reach their full potential.” This more positive and inclusive phrasing increases adoption and reduces stigma.Civello highlights ERGs as a valuable resource for companies seeking to support and empower neurodivergent employees. He has seen a trend of parenting and disability ERGs spinning off dedicated neurodiversity groups. These should be leveraged not just for peer support, but as a “sounding board” for the company. “I learned most of what I’ve done today so far just by listening to most people in the field and asking them what went well for you, and what would you do better?” Civello said. The Impending Generational ShiftThe most compelling call to action for companies to change their perspective around neurodivergence is the generational shift underway. “53% of Gen Z identify as neurodivergent,” Civello said, citing statistics from Deloitte’s 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey. Gen Z, along with Millennials and Gen Alpha, will be 80% of the workforce in the next decade, and their expectations will define the workplace. “They watched it on TikTok, and they have expectations of you, and if you can’t deliver, you’re going to be in a world of hurt,” Civello said. Civello closed out his presentation by pointing out that companies are sitting on vast reservoirs of untapped talent. Organizations can “develop high-performing teams by uncovering some of the most gifted people in your organization that simply are just not optimized,” he said. He recommends creating environments where every employee has the chance to be their unique selves. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, RethinkCare, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Guiding Employees Through the Formidable Journey of AI Transformation
BY Katie Chambers November 06, 2025We’ve all had the thought: will AI replace us? With all the tempting talk of artificial intelligence’s speed, efficiency, and optimization comes the concern that it will also take away the livelihoods of human workers. But is that trepidation well-founded? The arrival of AI has inspired a mix of excitement and fear among workers, which calls for HR professionals to lead them in an unflinching and transparent way. During a fireside chat at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference, Sean Woodroffe, EVP and chief people, culture & communications officer for Lincoln Financial, shared how he has taken a spirited and confident approach to the transformation. The Role of AI in the Workplace“When you think about AI and HR, for some people, that may not seem a natural synergy, because a lot of people tend to think of it from the perspective of technology. But AI is really about transforming the workforce,” Woodroffe said. He thinks of AI in three ways:It’s changing the way we work.It can augment current workflows to make us more efficient.With its ability to extract efficiencies, it could thereby shrink the workforce.It’s that third point that scares people the most. “People are naturally worried about the impact that AI will have on the workforce in terms of job losses,” Woodroffe said. “Worry less about how AI might impact your job. The person that is adopting, leaning into, and embracing AI will always be better off than the person that's not doing it.”Pathways Toward Effective AI AdoptionRather than thinking of AI as a “job eliminator,” suggests moderator Earl Hopkins, arts & culture reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer, leaders should focus on workforce skill building to help them embrace the tools it offers. “The opportunities for roles to be far more efficient than they were previously is infinite with possibilities,” Woodroffe said. Lincoln Financial has rolled out Microsoft Copilot for all of its employees and followed up with training through an organization called AI Mindset.HR professionals themselves can benefit from AI tools as well. “When you think about the roles that we do from an HR perspective, much of which is providing advice and counsel, much of which is consultative in nature, the ability to effectively use AI to make our roles easy and augment what we do is what we should be thinking about,” Woodroffe said. HR professionals should get familiar and competent with using AI “because we’re the ones that are being relied upon to help coach the organization in terms of adoption.” Earl Hopkins, arts & culture reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer interviewed Sean Woodroffe of Lincoln Financial Within his own HR work, Woodroffe says he uses AI to help him write job descriptions, prepare for talent acquisition interviews, and research compensation among competitors. He will take a candidate’s resume and job description and ask the large language model (LLM) to prepare him for a 50-minute interview. “If when you look at the job description and you look at the person’s resume, what are some gaps that might appear and what questions should I ask to discern whether those are actually gaps or not?” Education will become increasingly essential as technology continues to rapidly evolve. “I don’t think we have the full capacity now to appreciate what AI would look like even six months from now or a year from now. So, what’s important is that we open our aperture around the possibilities, and as the tools get enhanced, we spend a lot of time learning and embracing it. If you think about it, two or three years ago, we couldn’t fathom where we are today,” Woodroffe said. Installing the Guardrails“A big element within the HR industry is maintaining the human voice and ensuring certain information isn’t spilled out and made public that shouldn’t,” Hopkins said. So, how should HR leaders approach AI implementation in a way that guarantees safety and confidentiality? “It has to be used in an environment that is secure,” Woodroffe said.Another issue is AI “hallucinations,” or the information that LLMs provide that is sometimes completely inaccurate and essentially “imagined” by the program. Woodroffe advises all to be on the lookout for these, and to be detail-oriented and mindful when crafting prompts. “There [are] a lot of things that are unknown, so we have to be careful and thoughtful and make sure that we’re really using it in the right way.”One sticking point is remembering that AI is meant to augment, not replace. “If I wanted to become a molecular biologist tomorrow, there’s no amount of AI that's going to help me do that,” Woodroffe said. “But if I wanted to learn about a new aspect of talent management, AI will help me, because I [already] have a basic, fundamental appreciation for talent management as a practice. So, the point is: expertise still very much matters.” Woodroffe cautions “to be careful not to use AI as Google. We have to almost un-train our minds as to how we typically search for information. When you’re using Google, you might be asking for something specific, but when you’re using AI, you’re looking for reasoning. So, I think of it as sort of a first-year college analyst that I can ask things and [who can] get things done.” Going forward, Woodroffe will aim to hire candidates who are at the very least open to implementing AI in their work. “The burden is really on our shoulders to ensure that the adoption is done in a thoughtful, methodical way,” he said. “So, if you don't have at least curiosity, that’s a problem.” Katie Chambers is a freelance writer and award-winning communications executive with a lifelong commitment to supporting artists and advocating for inclusion. Her work has been seen in HuffPost, Top Think, and several printed essay collections, and she has appeared on Cheddar News, iWomanTV, On New Jersey, and CBS New York.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Unified by Innovation: Tech’s Role in Global Workforce Management
BY Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza November 06, 2025Artificial intelligence may be the most exciting new hire, but it’s not ready to make tighter-knit teams. As companies race to automate recruiting, performance reviews, and even written feedback, some HR leaders are asking a different question: Can technology actually make people feel more connected at work?That question is top of mind for Claude Silver, chief heart officer at global marketing firm VaynerX. Her team is experimenting with AI to generate personalized, quarterly feedback for employees—part of an effort to give people more consistent check-ins with their managers. But she’s yet to find something AI-powered that really facilitates interpersonal relationships. “I really want some AI tools that strengthen human relationships,” she said. “Bottom line: belonging and trust. I want to find a way that AI can help us with the connection moments.”Until AI can do it, companies are finding other ways to use technology to foster interaction, especially as teams become bigger and more global. That was the topic discussion among a panel of HR leaders during From Day One’s October virtual conference on smart strategies for collaborating across borders.At fintech company NCR Atleos, global executive director of talent and learning, Curtis Brooks is using tech to create learning communities where employees exchange leadership lessons and self-reflect. “People are starting to comment, and when one person comments, it creates the space for the next person,” he said. That kind of engagement, while modest, can spark a ripple effect of connection across teams.Too Many Tools, Not Enough ConnectionBut as companies add tools, they risk overwhelming the very people they’re trying to connect. HR tech stacks have grown taller–and unwieldy. Information and data are stored across disparate systems, team communications are fragmented, and unvetted tools can introduce security risks.Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza, journalist and From Day One contributing editor, moderated the session (photo by From Day One)The first test of whether a tool is worth using is whether it creates connection or friction, says Carol Cochran, senior director of HR at BOLD. Cochran recalled a team that relied on a pulse-check tool for frequent feedback. When that platform was retired, the team tried to recreate it on their own, adding so many new questions that it became a miniature engagement survey. “Suddenly it shifted right from being a pulse check useful for line managers to a mini-engagement survey where they were asking questions that, frankly, line managers aren’t in a position to really address,” Cochran said. “That was going to create more friction than connection.”Picking and ChoosingAt Google, global HR leader Jasmine Dolfus uses a four-part rubric to decide whether new tools are worth adding. Step one: assess needs and local compliance requirements. Step two: compare against standardized business criteria to ensure equity and consistency. Step three: make sure the change won’t disrupt or disadvantage other teams or regions. And finally, monitor the impact once the tool is in use.At NCR Atleos, Brooks applies an 80/20 rule. About 80% of technology and processes should be universal to the company, while 20% should be unique to specific teams or geographies. “It’s employee-driven, business-directed, and organizationally enabled,” he said.Cochran says that at BOLD, which recently acquired CareerBuilder and Monster, the challenge has been integration. Each company brought its own HR systems, workflows, tools, and habits. “At least in the beginning, you have to save a lot more than you can cut to keep business continuity,” she said. “There’s so much change hitting people that you don’t want to pull away the tools they need to stay functional and operating–even if it’s just a communication platform, because that’s what they’re used to.”That cautious approach may be what keeps these HR leaders grounded amid all the AI hype. For all the promise of automation, the real opportunity lies in designing systems that strengthen, not replace, human relationships.“We all need to understand AI, to use AI, and to not be afraid of it,” said Silver. “But at the end of the day, when I put my hand on your shoulder and say, ‘I got you,’ AI is not going to do that.”Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about business and the world of work. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., and Business Insider, among others. She is the recipient of a Virginia Press Association award for business and financial journalism. She is the host of How to Be Anything, the podcast about people with unusual jobs.(Photo by Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock)
Financial Wellness and the Evolution of Care in the Workplace
BY Christopher O'Keeffe November 05, 2025“When there are problems at home, there are problems at work,” said Patrick Manfroni, director of business development and partnerships at Stream, during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s Philadelphia conference. “Taking that problem into the office or into the workplace is obviously going to have a direct impact on your performance,” he said during the session titled, “Financial Wellness as a Core Benefit.”For decades, employers treated workers’ financial lives as personal territory—a private matter, separate from the office. But as Manfroni says, that separation is vanishing fast. “This is now no longer a nice-to-have perk. This is a must-have,” he said of financial wellness benefits. “It’s addressing [a] structural gap in how employees manage their cash flow every day and every week.”Today’s workplace is defined by shifting expectations, employees seeking not just fair pay but financial stability, access, and care. As companies evolve beyond transactional employment, the relationship between worker and workplace is being redefined around well-being and trust. “The employer is there not just to provide the paycheck,” said Manfroni.An Evolving Standard of WellnessAt its core, Manfroni says, financial wellness is about transforming how pay works, and how it supports people’s lives in real time.“In simplistic form, earned wage access gives employees access to their earned, but not yet paid wages,” he said. “If we’re in the middle of a pay period, today’s Tuesday, say we’re on a bi-weekly pay period, I don’t get paid until this coming Friday. [With earned wage access] I can log into an app and get access and see how much money I’ve earned thus far, and get access to those funds if I need them.”Patrick Manfroni of Stream spoke with Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor in chief The idea is simple but powerful: replacing rigid pay cycles with flexibility and immediacy. “It is not a loan. These are wages that these people have already earned. It’s a cash-flow solution. It’s not just a financial perk,” he said. That flexibility can have measurable business impact, says Manfroni. “It then increases attendance, retention and productivity. This is a no-cost tool for the employer to offer to their employees.”Upgrading an Antiquated SystemFinancial wellness, as Manfroni describes it, isn’t just about providing emergency cash—it’s about creating sustainable financial health. “It’s like giving somebody medicine, but also providing them with a long-term health care plan for their success,” he said.“At Stream, we not only offer pay, which is the earned wage access component, but we also offer other tools.” These tools include a high yield savings account, budgeting features, and an AI-powered tool where workers can ask financial questions, says Manfroni. In the modern workplace, that kind of support signals a deeper kind of partnership. Employers aren’t just providing income, they’re helping employees use it wisely, build confidence, and recover from financial stress.The Ripple Effect of Relief“We have seen a higher confidence level by the worker when they’re actually able to manage their bills,” Manfroni said. “It’s not only lowering their stress, but it’s also improving their focus and quality of work.”That relief translates into measurable organizational outcomes. “From a turnover perspective, it greatly reduces turnover,” he said. “We’re looking at turnover that’s reduced by around 15 to 25% when financial wellness and earned wage access products are offered.”In his earlier career, Manfroni witnessed the impact firsthand in nursing homes that began offering earned wage access. “We then saw the available shifts being covered, and that was because they were more willing to pick up these shifts, because they could walk out of that day if they wanted to, with access to their wages for that day,” he said. “The coverage was unbelievable.”When employees are less financially burdened, they’re not just showing up, they’re engaged, focused, and connected to their work. “When people are less stressed about their financial position, they come to work happier, they show up consistently, and they’re more engaged,” Manfroni said. “They just have less on their mind to worry about.”Steps Toward Financial InclusionAs industries struggle to attract and retain talent, financial wellness has become a differentiator. “Financial wellness tools and earned wage access specifically has become more of a signal of a progressive employer,” Manfroni said. “Candidates now are asking about this in interviews.”Younger generations, he added, are shaping expectations across the workforce. “For Gen Z and millennials, this is now becoming a baseline expectation, not an exception anymore,” he said. In a labor market defined by volatility and transparency, offering these tools is as much a cultural statement as a financial one. “Employers need to care more about their workers,” Manfroni said. “We need to start showing more care, more financial care, to these individuals, and making sure that we’re supplying them with the appropriate products.”For many employees, financial literacy was never part of their upbringing, it’s a reality that contributes to systemic inequity. “We’re looking at a lot of folks who arguably have not come from households where financial literacy has been ingrained and taught,” Manfroni said. But employers have the opportunity to level the playing field through educational means, he says. As financial wellness moves from trend to expectation, Manfroni predicts a future where earned wage access is as commonplace as direct deposit. “I think it’s just going to be the norm,” he said. Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Stream, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Chris O’Keeffe is a freelance writer with experience across industries. As the founder and creative director of OK Creative: The Language Agency, he has led strategy and storytelling for organizations like MIT, Amazon, and Cirque du Soleil, bringing their stories to life through established and emerging media.(Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Inclusive Well-Being Strategies for a Multigenerational Workforce
BY Carrie Snider November 05, 2025A multigenerational workforce requires leaders to understand its diverse needs, life stages, and work environments of employees. At From Day One’s San Francisco conference, leaders shared practical approaches that combine flexibility, technology, and human-centered design to make benefits truly inclusive for everyone.Inclusive benefits are all about recognizing the diverse needs of its workforce, according to Neela Campbell, VP, head of people at Hims & Hers. “Our biggest challenge right now is looking at our demographic,” she said. “We’re fully remote, with people all over different geographies and different ages and life stages, and we’re constantly designing and redesigning the benefits package and offerings that really can meet people where they’re at.”That flexibility is essential in a remote-first environment. Campbell says the company quickly learned the importance of being intentional about how it operates. “Zoom fatigue—we’ve all been affected by it,” she said. “What we learned quickly was about really working to be intentional about the way that we are operating as a remote-first company.” To help employees thrive, Hims & Hers limits unnecessary meetings, promotes asynchronous work, and emphasizes respect for focus time and personal boundaries. “It might sound simple,” she added, “but when you put it in action, it can be very impactful and valuable.”Despite being fully remote, the company still values in-person connection. “We have an incredible employee experience team that works really hard to make sure we’re able to meet and have impactful conversations,” Campbell said. Those face-to-face moments help strengthen relationships and foster collaboration, so when employees return home, they maintain that personal connection.Consider Cognitive Load for All EmployeesSupporting employee well-being in the age of AI starts with recognizing just how much mental strain today’s digital world demands—for employees of any age. “We are sitting at the intersection of one of the greatest technology transformations of all time,” said Kelly McMahon, VP of organizational effectiveness at Equinix. “When you think about what it takes to actually manage AI workloads and the demand on compute power and space and energy—we serve our customers in enterprise and hyperscaler—and that made me feel a little stressed out.”Michal Lev-Ram, contributing editor at Fortune and contributor for CNBC, moderated the discussion Learning new technology can be challenging at times. More than that, though, it’s the constant cognitive switching that comes with it, that affects everyone, she says.McMahon calculated that she sent and received nearly 20,000 Teams messages so far this year. “When we talk about burnout and cognitive load, that’s what we’re talking about,” she said. “You stop thinking about one thing and you start thinking about another.” The endless pings, meetings, and context changes add up—and for many employees, especially working parents, the load can become unsustainable.After hitting a wall herself, McMahon said she had to “take a hard look at my calendar and how and where I was spending my time.” Her lesson for other leaders: boundaries are essential. “Start with preservation of the time. Start with your priorities.”McMahon encourages companies to simplify processes and empower employees to manage their focus. “Simplicity is the ultimate form of sophistication,” she said. “If your calendar is 10 hours back-to-back, you’re probably not going to effectively manage your cognitive load.”Bridging Generations in the WorkplaceAt Keysight Technologies, employees span an incredible age range—from their 20s to their 90s. Older employees have key skills that are hard to find and are looking at the end of their career. Younger employees are just starting. Many have different needs, but most have the same core needs.“It’s about making sure everybody is heard,” said Heather Ostrowski, global senior director of benefits. “We have to design benefits that meet people where they are in life, whether they’re just starting out, raising families, or planning for retirement.”Convincing leadership to invest in a broad spectrum of well-being programs hasn’t always been easy. “You have to show the value,” Ostrowski said. “Executives want to see data that proves these benefits impact productivity, retention, and health outcomes—and we’ve been able to do that.”One standout success has been Keysight’s partnership with Sword Health, a virtual physical therapy platform. “We’ve had amazing feedback about the Sword program,” Ostrowski said. “It’s helped reduce musculoskeletal claims—our second-highest cost area—and saved 29 employees from surgery.” The result? Lower healthcare costs and a 14% increase in productivity.Ostrowski also emphasized the importance of listening and evolving as generational needs shift. “What a 25-year-old values isn’t the same as what a 55-year-old values,” she said. Inclusivity is something a company does intentionally, she added. “It has to start small,” Ostrowski said. “You start by creating acceptance, by making it okay to say, ‘I need a mental health day.’ That’s how trust—and real well-being—takes root.”Simplifying Through ConsolidationAs organizations strive to meet the diverse needs of their employees, many are realizing that managing multiple benefit vendors can create unnecessary complexity. “When we think about benefits, oftentimes we’re actually a replacement of other vendors,” said Megan Burns, lead benefits solutions consultant at Benepass. “What we do from a customizable spending accounts platform is consolidate a budget to one card.”That one card gives employees freedom and flexibility, something the company values because it matters to people. “We work with employers to put parameters around how employees can choose to use those benefit dollars,” Burns said. “Sometimes it’s physical fitness, sometimes it’s emotional health, and oftentimes it’s things like food delivery or groceries.” By consolidating benefits into a single, intuitive platform, Benepass streamlines administration while it increases engagement, as employees are more likely to use benefits that fit their personal lifestyles.While consolidation is more convenient for workers, it also saves money, says Burns. “We work with employers to increase their budget by future cost avoidance,” she said, referring to the financial efficiencies that come from merging multiple wellness, fitness, and reimbursement programs into one system.Blending AI With Human CareAI has joined the workforce, and it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ellie Smith, senior clinical specialist at Sword Health, emphasized that technology can enhance, not replace, the personal touch of professional care. “The AI clinician is not making any decisions,” she said. “They’re just there to make the experience more fun, gather feedback, and help the PT provide better care.”Sword Health’s digital physical therapy program illustrates how AI can complement human expertise. Patients receive real-time feedback on their movements through a tablet-based system, while PTs monitor and adjust treatment plans based on data collected. “Having those pre- and post-session conversations has been really helpful because it gives me even more information to provide better care,” said Smith. This integration allows employees to manage musculoskeletal health on their own schedules, easing the cognitive load of traditional in-person appointments while maintaining high-quality guidance.The combination of AI and human care also supports long-term health outcomes. Smith noted that programs like Sword’s Move initiative help patients build strength alongside other interventions, such as GLP-1 therapy. “By pairing it with a strength-based program, we help individuals stay strong, prevent injury, and build long-term healthy habits,” she said.Across industries, these hybrid approaches demonstrate a broader principle: technology should simplify and augment human effort rather than overwhelm it. The panelists agreed: inclusive well-being isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Leaders must focus on a continuous process of listening, adapting, and integrating tools that simplify and enhance employees’ experiences. From consolidating benefits to blending AI with human care, the common thread is flexibility and personalization. By thoughtfully addressing diverse needs, organizations can create a culture where employees feel supported, empowered, and able to thrive—no matter their age, role, or stage of life.Carrie Snider is a Phoenix-based journalist and marketing copywriter.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)
Leading Through Uncertainty: HR’s Role in Navigating Change
BY Ade Akin November 04, 2025Change typically doesn’t come with a roadmap to help navigate around it. It usually shows up like a pulse thunderstorm; it’s fast, messy, and relentless. According to a recent report, 69% of employees trust their employers to navigate changes better than governmental organizations and non-governmental ones.“As an HR professional, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure to deliver on that belief and on that promise,” said Marissa Waldman, founder and CEO at Leaderology during a From Day One webinar. This pressure to guide organizations as they navigate rapid changes was the central theme of the session moderated by Stephen Koepp, co-founder and editor-in-chief of From Day One. The panelists agreed that the role of HR has fundamentally shifted. It has expanded from primarily support duties to now include serving as stewards of organizational culture, helping to build trust during periods of digital transformation, corporate restructuring, and global uncertainty. The Non-Negotiables: Communication and Psychological SafetyCommunication is the most effective tool for managing change. “For me, it’s really about communicating clearly, communicating early, communicating often, and also finding different mediums for communication,” Chantal van der Walt, the SVP of HR at Outokumpu said. She recommends staying consistent with an organization’s core messaging while adapting it for different audiences, from directors to front-line workers. Tanvi Sondhi, the VP of talent and learning at Novelis, shared one lesson she learned the hard way during a recent company restructuring. “The learning that I had is that whenever you’re going through a change, just be direct, sharp, clear, to the point,” she said. “It really works.”Direct communication helps foster psychological safety among employees, which becomes even more essential when things are changing rapidly. Waldman views psychological safety as the direct result of fearless leadership. “When leadership is vulnerable, when the leadership is authentic and transparent, you’re able to maintain a psychologically safe culture,” she said. Leaders should be open to feedback without getting defensive if they don’t get the answers they want, Waldman says. Andres Mendoza, the head of talent and culture for BBVA in the U.S., recommends normalizing struggle to foster psychological safety within companies. “Not being okay is okay,” he added. “We are all overwhelmed at one moment in our career that we take things personally and professionally, and that we care about what we do.” Mendoza says creating channels for managers and employees to express when they aren’t okay is vital for building trust, which helps with retention. The Connective Tissue: Protecting and Empowering Middle ManagementThe pivotal, often painful, role of middle managers was a recurring theme during the conversation. “These mid-level leaders are the shoulders. They are truly the connective tissue for organizations,” Waldman said. “They’re getting strategy from the top. They’re translating it down. They have the relationships. They, in my mind, need to be protected at all costs.”Middle managers are often stuck managing the emotional fallout from unpopular organizational decisions. Many are promoted for their technical proficiency, not their leadership acumen, and are now being “squashed from the top” and “pushed up from the bottom,” as van der Walt described.Panelists spoke about "Leading Through Uncertainty: HR’s Role in Navigating Change" (photo by From Day One)Reema Vaghani, the global VP of learning experience at TaskUs, says companies must now move from merely informing managers about decisions to involving them as architects of change. “We’re giving them the opportunity to be part of this as architects of the change, rather than the responders to the change,” She elaborated when discussing TaskUs’s approach to middle management. Vaghani recommends creating mentorship programs that connect managers with C-suite leaders and providing safe spaces for managers to voice disagreements. “If people are resisting, that’s good,” Waldman added. “That means that there’s trust and they’re speaking.” The response should be, “Thank you. Thank you. This is good. Let’s talk about this.”Navigating the Human Impact of Restructuring and AILarge-scale changes, such as layoffs, can have a profound emotional toll on organizations. Sondhi described observing various reactions to such changes at Novelis, from vocal displeasure to “survivor’s guilt.”Novelis’s mantra for handling such shifts is to listen and offer transparency. The company focuses on first supporting top and middle leaders so they can manage their teams effectively. Their pre-established cultural beliefs, “be open, build trust, say anything, and be authentic," guide their decisions. “Wherever we followed our cultural beliefs, I think we were on track,” Sondhi said. “But wherever we failed to comply with it is where we started struggling.”The rise of AI has also been a force of significant disruption within organizations. Vaghani says TaskUs’s culture promotes learning agility with structured skill-up programs. The goal is to be honest about the future. “Some of these roles are going to go away,” van der Walt said, “but what are the opportunities? What does it create for you, and how can you develop?”The Anchor in the Storm: Cultivating Trust and Self-CareThe panel also addressed how HR leaders can advocate for themselves and their teams when they, too, are feeling the strain. Mendoza says that HR professionals are employees first and need support from their own leaders.Van der Walt notes that being a trustworthy partner to an organization from the beginning makes it easier to navigate complex decisions. “If you have that relationship with the business, you will understand better where they are coming from, and appreciate better why the company needs to maybe do what it needs to do.”Waldman drew a harder line for those who feel powerless to advocate for themselves. “If you are not respected by the business and you are not able to advocate for yourself, maybe you need to exit,” she added. For leaders who stay, the mandate is clear: put on your own oxygen mask first, and then lead with a fearlessly authentic commitment to your people.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Leaderology, for sponsoring this webinar. Ade Akin covers workplace wellness, HR trends, and digital health solutions.(Photo by Christian Horz/iStock)
Maintaining Employee Experience at Scale—Without Losing Personalization
BY Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza November 04, 2025There are two parts to the HR field, says Sarah Rose Hattem: the administrative work of ticking boxes, sending emails, and ensuring compliance, and the creative work of designing better processes, developing a workforce, and improving the employee experience. “That’s the more important work,” she said during a thought leadership spotlight at From Day One’s September virtual conference.Hattem is now a senior solutions consultant at HR tech company Rippling, but she spent her early career in HR. As the first HR hire at a company with just 50 employees, and plans to double headcount in a year, she faced a challenge familiar to many HR teams: doing a lot with very little. Tracking applicants, sending offers, and onboarding dozens of new hires each month quickly became overwhelming. But with Rippling’s platform, which worked like an operating system with its own taxonomy and native apps, “it was really like having an extra set of hands,” she said.Sarah Rose Hattem, senior solutions consultant at Rippling, spoke with journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza during the session (company photo)The paper-pushing side of HR work meant that Hattem, like so many other HR professionals, risked being an admin rather than a strategic contributor. This familiar problem has only grown as companies navigate big changes like layoffs, restructurings to return-to-office mandates, and the arrival of AI “coworkers.” HR teams are managing increasingly complex work while trying to preserve the human side of their role.Much of HR’s daily frustration, Hattem says, comes down to fragmented systems. Most organizations rely on a patchwork of tools that don’t easily communicate–one for payroll, another for benefits, and another still for performance reviews. They’re scattered and disconnected, and that slows the most basic processes. Technology should enhance the human side of HR, not replace it, Hattem says. The “human component” is the one thing she didn’t want to lose. “Does someone feel warm and welcome? Do they feel like we’ve given attention to them on a personal level? That’s really hard to do when you have to do all the other administrative things,” she said. The fix, Hattem argued, isn’t more software, but a smarter system. If employee data such as role, location, or manager could automatically sync across systems, if performance reviews could be connected with payroll, and work anniversaries with PTO balances, then HR teams could spend less time chasing paperwork and more time on what makes the job meaningful: creative problem-solving, process refinement, and building real connections. This, she says, is where HR professionals deserve to work.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Rippling, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about business and the world of work. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., and Business Insider, among others. She is the recipient of a Virginia Press Association award for business and financial journalism. She is the host of How to Be Anything, the podcast about people with unusual jobs.(Photo by Jacob Wackerhausen/iStock)
AI as a Corporate Earthquake: How Big Changes Can Make or Break Company Culture
BY Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza November 04, 2025The embedding of AI in business operations represents the most significant disruption to our working lives since the internet, and for the majority of the workforce—who aren’t old enough to remember how the internet upended not only day-to-day work but entire career trajectories—it’s the most tectonic change in their lifetime.In the race to operationalize AI, employers are destabilizing company culture. Long-proven processes are being overturned, responsibilities reorganized, tasks eliminated, knowledge re-oriented, and jobs replaced. What once required a team to accomplish can be done with just one or two people. Some solopreneurs are able to mount wildly profitable companies with no team members at all.As the workplace morphs into something entirely new, leaders must consider the effects on culture. The trouble is that many “companies often have a hard time understanding how quickly their organization changes,” said Miles Overholt, founder and CEO of Strategia Analytics.From Day One contributing editor Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza spoke with Miles Overholt, above, founder and CEO of Strategia, about how to effectively integrate AI into the workplace (company photo)An expert in organizational transformation and change with advanced degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and its Wharton School, Overholt has watched as companies fail to consider the working environment during major overhauls, only to have communication break down, distrust spread, and changes ultimately fail. A company may start a new project, he said, “but by the time you’re into it, the company has already changed and the implementation strategy has to be adjusted.” Initiatives can easily fail unless leaders account for how changes will affect what Overholt calls “organizational DNA,” or the ways an organization interacts with internal and external environments. Organizational DNA is always evolving, but it is especially fragile during major shocks such as mergers, acquisitions, or operational overhauls, including the introduction of AI.To preserve a healthy culture, leaders must know what the company is today, and have a clear picture of what it should be in the future. The Rush to Adopt AI, While Failing to Account for Cultural ChangeMany companies have already gotten ahead of themselves with AI. An analysis found that while major U.S. companies talk often about AI, “other than the ‘fear of missing out,’ few appear to be able to describe how technology is changing their businesses for the better.” This raises the question: If companies can’t clearly state the impact of AI on the business, do they know anything at all about its impact on culture?AI is shocking many companies because leaders failed to consider its effects on mentality, relationships, and behavior of the workforce, said Dave Lopez, Strategia Analytics’ SVP of systems research. “When AI is introduced, employees en masse believe, rightly or wrongly, that they’re out the door. If you’re introducing an AI system and your workforce is now concerned that they are about to be made redundant and lose their job, how does that impact how your organization is functioning?”Without clear communication about purpose, application, and goals, huge operational overhauls create distrust between workers fearful for their job security and leaders frustrated by slow adoption or outright resistance. How workers feel about operationalized AI depends on the industry and the role. Heavily routined industries such as manufacturing are seeing heightened anxiety, says Lopez. While in others, like financial services, “AI is seen more as a tool that can help you better perform your job, but your job is not necessarily at risk.” That’s not to say its effects on culture are smaller, only different.When Change Overlooks DNA, Culture CracksCompanies that fail to consider how AI will disrupt the way an organization interacts with both internal and external environments will face three critical problems.First, a breakdown in communication that engenders distrust can occur. If AI rollouts are framed as efficiency plays without transparency, employees—especially those in highly vulnerable roles like customer service and software engineering—may suspect ulterior motives. Unless your people know where you’re going and why, they won’t follow you there.In a From Day One webinar, Overholt recalled one spectacular breakdown in communication that left leaders and workers at aggressive odds. One of his early clients was a CEO who was certain that a fire on the machine floor was deliberately set and executive cars vandalized by employees. After investigating, Overholt discovered that while workers loved pleasing customers, they hated the work environment. “I’m listening to all these people in pain,” he recalled. “I’m watching supervisors trying to make things better, but they’re caught in the crunch between top management and employees, and nobody’s talking.” This gulf was widened when leadership built an executive parking lot fortified by a wall. Rather than take the time to understand what employees were feeling, the leaders drew battle lines and prepared for a fight.“If you want to understand behavior,” he said, “you have to understand the individual and context that individual happens to be in.”Next comes a disengagement from work.Managers and supervisors are employees’ most crucial point of connection to the company. Gallup found that upwards of 70% of variance in team engagement can be chalked up to the manager alone.If line managers who work directly with rank and file aren’t incorporated in AI rollouts early and eagerly, buy-in from the broader organization will suffer. Engaging managers will prevent leaders from seeing the organization as homogenous and unmoving—they are your key to understanding team dynamics, day-to-day operations, and likely roadblocks. Few leaders truly know why things don’t get done and why changes don’t land. But your managers do.The last problem Overholt sees is changes that don’t stick. Without trust and engagement, work suffers. “Behavior is a function of the person and the environment,” Overholt said. If a company’s culture doesn’t actively support and reward the behaviors it wants to see, meaningful change simply won’t stick.Some leaders are prone to see change as a zero-sum game: It’s good for business or it’s good for employees. But that’s not true, says Frances Almstrom, Strategia’s VP of systems research. “You can do what’s good for your company and what’s good for your people at the same time.” When you do, operations can change, quite successfully.Practical Steps for Preserving Culture Amid AI DisruptionResisting the urge to simply keep up with the Joneses is the first step. While benchmarking your competitors is useful, imitation is not an operational strategy. Success comes from understanding what truly fits your organization’s unique DNA and long-term goals, says Overholt. Before and after any AI rollout, leaders should take stock of how changes affect the organization across four dimensions: strategy, leadership, culture, and execution. By regularly measuring the root causes of underperformance, say, every six months, they can catch small problems before they metastasize into larger ones.Managers play a pivotal role in guiding employees through transitions. Well-prepared leaders don’t just enforce new systems, they help employees understand the changes, address concerns, and model behaviors that reinforce the desired culture.Communication strategies, too, must be thoughtful and nuanced. Employees will perceive AI differently depending on their roles, experiences, and industry context. Effective messaging anticipates these varied perspectives, highlighting both opportunities and challenges so that employees feel part of the process rather than casualties of change.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Strategia Analytics, for supporting this sponsor spotlight. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about business and the world of work. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., and Business Insider, among others. She is the recipient of a Virginia Press Association award for business and financial journalism. She is the host of How to Be Anything, the podcast about people with unusual jobs.(Photo by FG Trade/iStock)
Preparing Managers to Lead in a Complex, Changing Workplace
BY Jessica Swenson November 03, 2025With tightening budgets and growing organizational demands, today’s managers must continuously vacillate between the human aspects of leadership and operational metrics, structure, and productivity. Shifting too far in one direction can make it harder to access the other, causing burnout and impacting the level of support your team receives.“Balancing those two is basically where the art comes in. I think both of them are required, and a lot of what leadership is about is trying to figure out the balance between the two,” said Abhay Gangadharan, global head of workforce architecture and director, future of work at Google. The key, he says, is self-awareness. Notice when you’re operating in one mode or the other, check in with your teams, and adjust to meet their needs.Moderated by Subadhra Sriram, founder of Workforce Observer, panelists at From Day One’s San Francisco conference discussed how leadership development can prepare managers to better handle increasing volumes of responsibility, stress, and change.To understand your organization’s development needs, Juliet Saxe, partner at RHR International, recommends using assessment tools to recognize where managers and management cohorts need more support. “We’ve used assessment as the basis for a lot of what we do, and that creates the jumping point to create programming for leaders at all levels, to help them evolve depending on their support needs.”Classroom Training OpportunitiesRenu Sharma, HP‘s head of learning and skill development, says that by upskilling managers in fundamental leadership as well as functional and technical skills, the company is helping to mitigate the effects of change fatigue on its managers. HP invests in a blended program consisting of boot camp-style training in technical and human skills, cohort-based learning to enable peer-to-peer connections, and AI-driven coaching and role-playing. Panelists spoke on the topic, "Managers Are Overwhelmed. How Leadership Development Can Help Them"Productivity gained from technical upskilling in AI helps leaders to focus on meaningful work and strategic thinking, Sharma says. HP also “designed a manager leadership boot camp so that they can focus on human skills like leading change and navigating uncertainty,” she said. Managers need to shift into skills-first leadership to support broader changes in organizational talent management, says Shaily Rampal, VP of HR and global head of organizational effectiveness for HCLTech. By evaluating what skills are needed to meet both current and future strategic goals, “managers can play a very important role in identifying and bridging these skill gaps by giving continuous coaching to their teams.” Self-reflection and continuous growth are also vital for the managers themselves.Beyond traditional leadership and management topics, resilience and mind-body stress management techniques have a place in these development programs. “I’ve seen folks sitting in boardrooms with their hands under the table trying to do sitting relaxation and steadiness exercises just because the stress is so high,” said Saxe. “You’d be surprised how these techniques and frameworks can be really helpful, even in a business situation.”Gangadharan suggests looking for ways to cultivate antifragility by anticipating and learning from pressure. “Change is not going away,” he said. “The question is, how are we going to adapt to that in the future? You need to create some slack for yourself in order to adapt to change.”Outside the ClassroomOrganizational tools complement classroom training by supporting managers’ needs in real time. Program managers are standard roles already embedded in tech, says Gangadharan; they help bring clarity and ensure on-time, on-budget project delivery. He says that AI tools will enhance these roles through increased efficiency. He has used AI for meeting agendas and note-taking to be more present and empathetic during meetings. Sharma discussed HP’s use of AI to provide personalized, scalable leadership coaching on a smaller budget. “It gets to understand you as a leader and can provide more personalized feedback,” she said. “As we make AI public coaching available to a larger audience, that’s a great tool to have in our managers’ hands without having to spend large budgets.”Tina Gilbert, VP of employer offering at Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MTL), encourages leaders to understand what they need as they search for and scale AI solutions. “Don’t just plug in to a coaching AI because it’s the thing to do; make sure you’re understanding what the root causes are that you’re trying to address, and that you’re trying to overcome. And then second, what is the motivation for your managers to leverage those tools?” Leaders should find ways to engage directly with their teams, peers, and mentors, and then use tools to reinforce their in-person experiences, she says.Another effective tool used by many companies is mentorship programming. HCLTech has a global mentoring program that offers one-on-one mentoring and peer mentoring circles to over 42,000 participants, Rampal shared, which helps managers maintain support networks after specific leadership development programs have ended.Sustaining CultureHow can organizations ensure a sustainable culture while their leaders evolve? “Leaders go first,” said Sharma. “I think a critical part of culture is that the senior leader teams are role modeling for everyone else.” Having a senior leadership team discuss and prioritize its commitment to continuous learning demonstrates its importance for the company’s other people managers.Gilbert believes that the balance between leadership influence and the experience of entry-level staff creates an organization’s culture and impacts managers the most. “It’s the manager in that middle position of understanding all of that lived experience from those who report to them, but then trying to manage that with the expectations of those they report to.”Jessica Swenson is a freelance writer and proofreader based in the Midwest. Learn more about her at jmswensonllc.com.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)
Recruiting Rebuilt: How to Streamline Your Hiring Pipeline, Data, and Workflow
BY Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza November 03, 2025Recruiters are busier than ever, though not necessarily more productive. “We’re seeing three times more applications per recruiter today than just a few years ago,” said Meredith Johnson, chief product officer at Greenhouse, during a From Day One webinar on streamlining the hiring process. At small companies, that influx could mean 100 applications for a single job, and at larger companies–thousands.“Today’s job seeker can use AI to mass apply for hundreds of roles in just a few clicks, and they’re customizing their resumes instantly,” she said. Recruiters’ inboxes are flooded with fraudulent, unqualified, or disingenuous applications, “and it’s creating a lot of false signals.”Greenhouse tracked 300 million applications in a single year, which means that there could be 200 times more applications than roles filled in a given quarter. “Recruiters are spending upwards of 80% of their time sifting through this noise,” Johnson said. Meanwhile, the teams doing that work are shrinking. “The average number of recruiters per team has dropped by 24%,” she said, and each recruiter is now handling triple the workload of a few years ago. Sorting candidates, especially at the top of the funnel, is getting harder.Candidates, meanwhile, expect more: faster responses, transparent processes, and personalized communication. In short, Johnson said: “Recruiters are stuck with quite a bit of chaos.”‘From Requisition Takers to Talent Strategists’Johnson says that recruiters can break this cycle not only with automation, but with strategy. For reactive hiring teams, work starts when a role opens. For proactive hiring teams, the work is building the workforce at all times. Johnson wants to help recruiters go from “requisition takers to talent strategists,” continuously building relationships and pipelines.Meredith Johnson, chief product officer at Greenhouse, pictured, spoke with journalist Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza during the webinar (company photo)That requires structure and consistency. Johnson described one client whose hiring process varied wildly–each manager had their own way of evaluating candidates, and no candidate’s experience was like the next. By standardizing the process and criteria, the company created a more equitable and more predictable system. The new structure also allowed recruiters to act as advisors, not just box-tickers.Johnson emphasized that AI isn’t meant to replace recruiters–it will help them work efficiently. The recruiter remains in charge of the process and rubrics, while the tech can handle things like candidate sentiment analysis and flagging potentially fraudulent applications. With smarter tech, recruiters can then prioritize real candidates who express genuine enthusiasm for the role, without removing human judgement or sacrificing the candidate experience.AI makes it easy for good-faith candidates to apply easily, and makes it easier for bad actors to do the same. Greenhouse has found that nearly one percent of resumes contain some kind of trick like inflated skills or falsified experience. One percent may sound like a small figure, but when a company receives 2,000 applications for a single role, those numbers add up.To address this, Johnson pointed to Greenhouse’s partnership with Clear, which allows recruiters to confirm a candidate’s identity at any point in the hiring process they choose. “It’s as simple as taking a selfie photo and uploading the government ID.” As the pressure on recruiters to do more with less continues, the next phase of talent acquisition will depend on how effectively teams can balance automation with human judgment, using AI to find the signal in the noise. “Recruiters are being forced to spend a lot of critical time and energy manually sifting through hundreds or thousands of resumes,” Johnson said. “What they really want to do, and what they’re skilled at, is building relationships with truly qualified talent and moving those candidates through the process.” And that’s what she wants to give them.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Greenhouse, for sponsoring this webinar. Emily McCrary-Ruiz-Esparza is an independent journalist and From Day One contributing editor who writes about business and the world of work. Her work has appeared in the Economist, the BBC, The Washington Post, Inc., and Business Insider, among others. She is the recipient of a Virginia Press Association award for business and financial journalism. She is the host of How to Be Anything, the podcast about people with unusual jobs.(Photo by Pakin Jarerndee/iStock)
Elevating Employee Experience Through Personalized Recognition and Rewards
BY Jennifer Yoshikoshi November 03, 2025A post-pandemic workplace survey found that only four in 10 employees feel respected at work. Researchers suggest that a drop in employee engagement and well-being caused major discontent across the workforce. With positive engagement faltering across companies, leaders are working to implement programs and systems that encourage the recognition of employees through rewards, appreciation notes, and flexible benefits. During a panel discussion at From Day One’s San Francisco conference, leaders shared their methods on effectively recognizing valued employees and elevating their work experience.Representing a Diverse WorkforceFrom Generation Z to Baby Boomers, companies are seeing an increasingly diverse demographic in the workplace and are challenged with adjusting to a wide range of needs. Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Survey found that while benefits such as medical, paid time off, dental and retirement benefits were valued by all employees, the level in which they prioritized them differed across generations. Serafina Miller, senior vice president of Aon’s Northern California Health Solutions Practice, says that Gen Z will value paid time off and work life balance over retirement while Baby Boomers are more likely to focus on life and disability benefits and retirement.Even companies that may have a tight budget are offering ways to reward their staff. In these situations, Miller says that offering flexibility and choice becomes critical. This can be provided through different types of health plans with high, medium and low coverage. In addition to still recognizing the needs of workers, this can drive financial wellness benefits as well, she says.At Prezzee, U.S. Senior Marketing Manager Samara Swenson said the company is “constantly developing different programs that fit different needs that may fit different generations.” The company provides customizable digital gift cards, and its rewards programs allow employees to swap their gift cards for something they need. The company is also able to track what they are exchanging it for, such as groceries or other necessities to understand the budget constraints impacting its workers.Shawna Chen, reporter at Axios, left, moderated the discussion among leadersAllan Brown, vice president of total rewards at Snowflake, acknowledged that the pandemic also changed the power dynamic between employees and company leaders, where the culture of one workplace might appear better than another. For recruiters, he suggested that it could be effective to share with potential candidates that while a company will pay competitively, there is also an awareness for work life balance. “We’re looking for ways to sort of tap into what that person cares about, beyond money,” he said. An Aon study has also found that “hybrid working arrangements actually allow employees to feel the most valued versus being forced to return to work,” Miller said. Remote working from the pandemic has allowed people to find that the ability to work home can be a stress reliever and a way to manage life better. To See and Recognize EmployeesRemote-capable workers forced back on-site reported the largest decline in feeling respected, dropping from 46% to 35% in 2022, according to Gallup. After the pandemic, more employees began to feel overlooked or disrespected in the workforce amid layoffs, lack of recognition, decline in wellness services and restricted work flexibility. Brown of Snowflake, says a stronger focus on manager training is necessary to address the needs of individual employee experiences. “Manager training and the responsibility of managers that they have to guide, mentor, coach and try to see the employee,” are important aspects to acknowledging staff, he said. At Visa, employee recognition starts from day one, said Jennifer Cullen, global head of employee experience and listening. During its onboarding process, employees are introduced to all different systems used within the company as well as its peer-to-peer recognition program. With over 32,000 employees across the world, Visa ensures that “there’s not big differences in the way that folks are recognizing one another,” said Cullen. Prezzee similarly works with companies to create a reward system that encourages employees to recognize their coworkers with points. When a certain amount of points are collected, they can cash it in for a gift card, says Swenson. “This is a small way to make your coworkers and everyone feel seen, make them feel rewarded, make them feel like the work that they’re doing at the workplace is valued,” she said. Jennifer Yoshikoshi is a local news and education reporter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.(Photos by David Coe for From Day One)