How to Harness the Power of AI to Make Your Life (and Work) Better
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski February 19, 2026People may use AI for work or personal purposes, but it can also enhance both areas of daily life. As part of a human-machine partnership, it’s important to understand how to use AI effectively in both professional and personal settings.Celia Quillian, author of AI For Life and director of AI and growth on the innovation team at Greenlight, spoke about just this during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Atlanta marketing conference. Having worked at Greenlight for the past five years, a company that started off as a debit card for kids but has since expanded to a family tech space, Quillian’s role was primarily in the product marketing landscape but she now works in additional areas, including an innovation space for new products as well as an AI enablement focus. Her appreciation and interest in AI began in 2022 when she started navigating through AI on her personal time to learn more about this relatively new technology tool, she told moderator Steve Koepp, From Day One co-founder and editor in chief. “I remember thinking, everything is going to change and people have no idea,” Quillian said. “They’ll be pulling their phone out at parties saying, ‘Have you seen this yet? Try this. Look at what it can do,’” she said. “That inspired me to start my Smart Work AI channel, where I teach people about what I’m learning and what’s happening with AI.” Her devotion to understanding AI and its future implications even prompted her to write her book.Quillian signed complimentary copies of her book, AI for Life: 100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun!, for session attendees At the time, there were many AI books on the market, but all very technical, she says. “Many of them were only about the business use case, there was nothing for the average everyday consumer or just everyday worker.”“My thought is that it’s not as motivating to adopt a new tool if it’s just for work and you’re being told to do it. But if you can find personal value in how you can unlock things for yourself using a tool, maybe you’re going to start experimenting with it more,” she said. “Maybe you'll find more use cases. And so, the book, I’m hoping, unlocks that for a lot of people.”To Quillian, there’s value in using AI in both work and personal circumstances, not just one or the other. “You might learn something at work that it can do and go, hey, I wonder if I can apply this to my home life and vice versa,” she said. “That’s certainly what I did.”Think of your AI as a collaborator–-just not a human one. Understanding its limitations is key to using it wisely, she says. “Expertise is not going away, and it should not go away in the context of AI. That human experience that you have, the training and knowledge that you have developed over your career, you have more context than it will ever have,” said Quillian. “You can use it as a starting point, but bringing yourself into that human-in-the-loop moment is important.”The Best Use Cases, So FarIn her personal life, Quillian says ChatGPT has helped her plan a vacation by providing her with ideas as to where she could travel in the United States that had a variety of features she was looking for in a destination. It helped plan the vacation for her and even built out an itinerary. “I was able to plan a vacation that ended up being one of our favorite trips that we've ever done,” she said. Another AI success for Quillian came when she learned to use Claude and built three applications. The experience left her excited and empowered about AI.However, it’s important to recognize AI’s limitations, including the risks of hallucinations and generating fanciful or inaccurate content. “Hallucinations is a term when an AI very confidently says something that is not true or includes some information that’s a little lacking in some human logic,” she said. That’s where human logic is essential. It’s also important to use prompt layering by feeding AI a series of prompts instead of relying on a single question and answer, she says. AI can handle multiple prompts, help with drafts and outlines, and generate several versions of a document. She also recommends using specific words, action verbs, and using AI for brainstorming purposes. You can also use tools to make correspondence sound better, be more diplomatic, and still get the point across to the reader.You can ask ChatGPT or other AI platforms to rephrase and soften messages so they may be received better by the recipient. You can ask, ‘How do I express myself in a facts-only way and not emotionally?’ “AI can take that and do it for you immediately, without any friction, and over time, you will get better at writing those emails yourself as well, if you collaborate with it that way.”From a marketing standpoint, Quillian points out ways AI can help boost creativity. It can be used to brainstorm ideas and help with various aspects of the entire campaign. As for where AI is headed in the future, Quillian used her experience with Claude Code as an example and stated we may be moving into a time where people start to build their own personal applications more frequently, relying less on direct-to-consumer apps even. “We’re moving into a world where you’re not just prompting AI. The AI is prompting you.”Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.
How HR Can Be a Strategic Partner in a Culture of Compassion and Accountability
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski February 13, 2026In any business, it’s not only important to attract future employees, but to retain them for years to come. To do so, it takes many pieces of the puzzle to come together and make this goal a reality.Alison Smith, chief HR officer at Piedmont Healthcare, spoke about this with moderator Andy Miller, founder and editor of Georgia Health News, during a fireside chat at From Day One’s Atlanta conference. Smith highlighted various ways that HR teams can help to nurture compassion and accountability, especially in the area of healthcare. Smith pivoted to the healthcare industry from a previous role at Publix and quickly noticed the contrast between retail grocery and healthcare. In healthcare, the stakes are literally life and death, and she values how patient care makes the work both meaningful and complex, with a clear, lasting impact.How HR Teams Make Things HappenWhen asked about her goals as chief human resources officer, Smith mentioned how important it was to have a seat at the table where things happen. “It’s really important to be at that table, to have a seat at the executive table, and really be able to strategically lead the organization not just at where it is now, but where it’s going,” she said. It’s important to see what the growth strategy looks like and what human resources can do to encourage this growth, she says. “The other piece with HR is really making sure that you’ve got the talent, both now and what that succession planning piece is, and are you developing the workforce and keeping the workforce so that you're sustainable for the future in the long term.” The Importance of Both Hiring and RetentionA shortage of nurses as it pertains to both attracting and retaining these medical professionals is a big challenge in the healthcare industry today, says Smith. “With this shortage it makes it a little bit more challenging to figure out,” she said.“How are you going to design the workforce and how are you going to design the work to accommodate the fact that there’s just not enough folks to do the work that is needed down the road?” Thus, the focus needs to be on recruiting. When the company recruits, the focus is on the culture and how their employees are ambassadors of the culture. The organization builds relationships with colleges in the area and Smith states that with her prior company the outreach was also extended to high school students as these 17- and 18-year-olds will soon be graduating and considering future careers. Piedmont is hopeful to start doing this type of outreach as well, she says. A crucial part of retaining employees is knowing how they feel. One way to do so is through surveys. “We use the Great Place to Work tool, and we’ve really found that to be helpful,” she said. “We do an annual survey once you’re on that, but we actually do a lot of pulse surveys, too.”Alison Smith, CHRO at Piedmont Healthcare, spoke with Andy Miller, founder and contributing editor, at Georgia Health News, KFF Health News, and HealthbeatSurveys are sent to recently hired employees to understand their hiring and training experience and whether they feel supported. When employees tend to leave around a similar point in time, the HR team analyzes the feedback to identify why and uses those insights to refine recruiting and training.An employee’s relationship with their supervisor can also have a lot to do with retention, says Smith. Although compensation and benefits are extremely important factors, the appreciation of a supervisor towards their employees goes a long way. A “thank you” goes a long way. If the supervisor is supporting their employees, this can play a part in retention.“When you think about retention, that’s why people want to stay,” stated Smith. “They’re working for someone that they believe cares about them, that champions them, that’s invested in their growth, and that, in the end, means a lot more than anything else that you can do.”Getting Company Values AcrossAnother focal point to help recruit and retain is effective branding, which in this case, can mean showing how the company impacts its community. “Piedmont does a great job of trying to help people understand the community impact that it has,” said Smith. “We're a nonprofit, and so we give back a lot to the communities, and we spend a lot of time on trying to understand community needs.”Part of the branding success also relates to telling an authentic story. The Piedmont Promise Story is something the nonprofit does to highlight individuals within various departments of the team. During the weekly executive meetings, a different executive is tasked with telling a Promise Story about someone on the Piedmont team from any department and how they play a part in making the nonprofit a successful entity. Supporting Well-BeingMental health and well-being are another major focus, especially in healthcare. The company provides tools and resources to support team members and encourages them to seek help when they need it.“Having an environment where you’re encouraged to be supported is one of the first steps in creating an environment where people do actually go get the help that they need, because we know that it can be difficult,” Smith said.Compassion and accountability go hand in hand. When employees feel supported, they are more likely to stay with the organization for the long term.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in the Bucks County Herald, Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
The Hidden Costs of GLP-1s and How HR Can Rethink Employee Health
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski January 15, 2026Obesity affects nearly half of U.S. adults, making it one of the most urgent and widespread health challenges facing the country today. To address this concern, some individuals have turned to glucagon-like peptide-1 medications, otherwise known as GLP-1s. Access to GLP-1s and other weight loss treatments is quickly becoming a sought-after employee benefit. But with the costs of GLP-1 medications and other health aspects surrounding these weight loss aids, are there other ways that employers may rethink this health treatment route? The answer is a resounding yes.During a From Day One webinar titled, “The Hidden Cost of GLP-1s and How HR Can Rethink Employee Health,” Yasmine Meneses, manager of consultant relations and dietitian, and Manuela Abreu, head of nutrition and community and dietitian, at Nutrium explored this topic in detail and discussed ways that HR teams can rethink employee health as they uncover GLP-1 hidden costs. In their roles at Nutrium, an employer-focused nutrition benefit and health and wellness platform, Meneses and Abreu draw on their expertise to discuss GLP-1 medications and alternative approaches to weight management.The current state of metabolic health in the U.S. helps explain why GLP-1 medications have emerged as a treatment for obesity. Obesity rates are now three times higher than they were in the 1960s, rising from 13% to 40% today, Meneses says, underscoring how obesity and weight management increasingly affect the workplace. “It’s no longer just a public health concern but truly a major employer issue and an issue that we’re dealing with every day. For employers, this impact isn’t abstract.”Some of the results of this HR concern include medical claims, chronic condition management, leaves and disability, absences from work, productivity, rising pharmacy spend, and complexity managing these. “It’s not just a population trend, it’s an operational reality.” It was that pressure that set the stage for GLP-1s. “Employers have been searching for solutions that can truly drive meaningful change at scale,” said Meneses.Understanding What GLP-1’s Can DoManuela Abreu, the head of nutrition and community at Nutrium, spoke during the session (company photo)Abreu delved into what GLP-1s are, as some may not be too familiar with this type of medication. GLP medications were initially designed for Type 2 diabetes, not weight loss, she says. Ozempic and Wegovy are some medication names and all belong to the class of GLP-1 receptor agonists. In other words, they don’t replace the naturally produced GLP-1 hormone, but instead they amplify its action so it activates the same biological effect, but do so in a stronger, more long-lasting way. Every time we eat, GLP-1 is released from our gut and completes the job by telling our body food is coming in, energy is available, and we can start regulating our intake. It’s a constant conversation between gut and brain. “This shows that eating behavior is not driven entirely by willpower,” said Abreu. When the GLP-1 receptors are activated, it helps the body release insulin and improve glucose control, slows how quickly food leaves the stomach, and helps people feel fuller longer. The effects of GLP-1 were clinically compelling with amazing clinical results. For the first time, a medication delivered truly dramatic results for people living with obesity. The speakers noted that weight loss was both rapid and significant, with study outcomes surpassing those of any previous weight loss drug. Individuals and employers alike saw tremendous promise. Still, medication alone does not address the root causes of obesity.Hidden Health Costs of GLP-1sThere can also be hidden health costs associated with GLP-1s. In controlled studies, for example, participants aren’t relying on medication alone; they are also receiving nutrition support, medical supervision, and ongoing coaching.In real life, individuals might not have this type of support. Further, some people experience side effects, such as nausea, fatigue, and GI discomfort, and still have to deal with life’s daily tasks. “So this reality check makes long-term consistency much harder than it looks on the papers,” said Abreu. Another difference between the controlled environment and real life is the willingness to stay on the medication. When the medications cease, so do the physiological aspects. “So this is what we started seeing in real-world situations: about 70% of patients discontinue within the first year, and when they stop, up to two-thirds of the weight that was lost is regained.” Employers are learning the type of weight loss also matters. The employee taking GLP-1 medication may not get the right protein intake and they don’t just lose fat, they lose muscle mass, too. Less muscle means a lower metabolic rate and when the metabolic rate drops, weight maintenance becomes more difficult. Therefore, regaining weight becomes easier and employers are paying for a type of weight loss that makes long-term outcomes harder. “The bottom line is that medication without the right support is extremely fragile,” said Abreu. Aspects such as how to build protein intake, deal with unexpected events, and address stress or emotional eating aren’t covered. The root cause of obesity isn’t treated. How GLP-1 Hidden Health Costs Increase Overall Cost Meneses took over the cost segment portion of the chat and showed how hidden costs of GLP-1s can really increase the overall cost of using this medication. “The instability in health outcomes also creates instability in the entire system,” said Meneses. The GLP-1 landscape is changing constantly. New medications and new pricing make it difficult for the benefits team to deal with the complexity. When GLP-1 was originally used just for Type 2 diabetes, this was easier for employers to gauge costs. However, with weight loss usage and GLP-1s, the picture is less clear. Access pathways expanded and employees often perceived GLP-1s as being more affordable for employers to provide than is the case. Three new pricing models for GLP-1 use include the following: direct-to-consumer, where the member purchases the medication straight from the manufacturer and they receive a discounted price; compounded GLP-1s, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, which may be offered at a fraction of the cost but aren’t regulated or consistent; and, discount programs, such as GoodRX and TrumpRX (starting January 2026), which connects consumers to lower cost medications via discount. As pathways multiply, expectations of employees are increasing. They wonder why employers don’t cover GLP-1s or only cover them for certain employees. Hidden economic costs often enter the discussion at this point. Hidden economic costs can include organizational volatility, discontinuation waste, unequal employee experience, and productivity impacts. Volatility arises when employees start, stop, or adjust GLP-1 use, making it hard for HR to manage a consistent program and often triggering repeated costs. Discontinuation waste occurs when employees stop due to side effects or cost, then later restart, creating added administrative burden. Unequal experiences can emerge if eligibility is limited, raising fairness concerns. And productivity may suffer if nutritional gaps lead to low energy, irritability, or reduced focus.GLP-1 use isn’t linear. Some employees have it covered by their employers, some get it straight from the manufacturer, and some are stopping the medications altogether. This is why there’s movement toward a two-path operating model. Understanding the Two-Path Operating ModelAbreu details the two-path operating model by highlighting Nutrium’s framework. The program works whether the employer offers GLP-1s freely or in a more restricted form. “Regardless if your employer is covering GLP-1s, restricting them, or does not offer them at all, we keep hearing the same question, “How can we support everyone safely, consistently, and in a way that actually leads to sustainable results?” The Nutrium team works directly with employers and thousands of members as they pursue their individual health journeys. There are scalable, one-on-one personalized appointments with a registered dietitian and evidence-based guidance, says Abreu. It’s tailored to fit the individual’s health needs. By using patient data and behavior signals from Nutrium technology, the dietitians can detect health issues or warnings and step in before small issues become larger. The approach is prevention first for early intervention and protecting long-term metabolic health. “Our philosophy is simple,” said Abreu. “Medication can help, but long-term health comes from nutrition habits and consistent support.” In practice, this comes down to a unified system that turns into two clear pathways, one for employees already using GLP-1 and one for employees who don’t. HR teams can make more confident decisions about GLP-1s by first defining their philosophy and clarifying their organization’s stance. From there, building a dual-path system ensures all employees are considered and that the benefits strategy remains fair, predictable, and scalable.However, GLP-1s should not stand alone. They are most effective when paired with nutrition and behavior support, alongside a strong non-medication option for employees who choose a different path. Employers should also track outcomes, including long-term weight maintenance, and partner with providers grounded in evidence and shared value.Ultimately, the speakers agreed, GLP-1s can be powerful tools and highly attractive benefits, but lasting metabolic health depends on building a comprehensive approach that goes beyond medication alone.Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, Nutrium, for sponsoring this webinar. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish.(Photo by Varlay/iStock)
Matching Employee Expectations to Economic Realities: Where Leaders Should Focus
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski January 07, 2026From expanded mental health support to virtual healthcare access, employers have adapted to employees’ evolving needs since Covid. But those offerings are only part of the picture. Many workers are also asking for more affordable healthcare benefits. How can employers respond to these requests, and what other forms of economic support do employees expect from company leaders?These concerns were addressed during an executive panel discussion moderated by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton, business reporter with The Seattle Times, at From Day One’s December virtual conference. Ulu-Lani Boyanton started off the session by asking what the panel guests often hear from their employees regarding healthcare wants and needs. “Employees want comprehensive benefits that make showing up to work easier as they grow and raise their families and care for their personal health,” said Gianna Cruz, director of client success at Maven Clinic.“In our latest State of Women’s and Family Health Report, 69% of those who were surveyed said that they would take or have considered taking a new role or a new job because it offers better reproductive and family benefits to them and their families,” said Cruz.“I think what we’re really seeing now is a push to personalization,” said John Von Arb, VP of total rewards for Essentia Health. Expanding voluntary benefit strategies in addition to the core benefits offered is what people are now looking for, he says. “Generational differences within the workforce today do drive a lot of the conversation around what the needs are because one size does not fit all anymore,” he said.Kimberly Young, SVP of total rewards at Amentum, a global leader in innovative technology solutions and advanced engineering, highlighted the importance of affordability and a work-life balance as benefits sought after by employees. “Obviously affordability is the number one priority, so a lot of the feedback is targeted towards the escalating costs,” said Young. “From a premium perspective they want turnkey care for a much lower cost.” “And they want something that covers a work-life balance,” added Young. “We find ourselves today trying to balance all of that.” How Employee Needs Changed Post-CovidThe needs of employees and their economic concerns have also changed since Covid. For healthcare industry professional Von Arb, it’s undeniable that Covid played a big part in changes within his organization. It was a “game-changer” for the industry, he said. Mental health support became a focal point, with about 150 employees trained in peer-to-peer support, he said.Since Covid, clients now view Maven’s benefits as a core part of a strong, effective benefits package rather than a nice-to-have, says Cruz. There’s also more of a focus on overall access to care, and specifically access that might have been limited during Covid. In general, there’s a push for equitable access in a virtual setting at a global scale. Post-Covid, there’s been a greater emphasis on mental health and wellness, Young says, along with increased focus on activity and flexibility as many employees continue transitioning back to work. Meeting Employee Expectations Regarding BenefitsThe panelists shared a range of approaches to meeting employee expectations, from offering greater choice and flexibility in plans to providing holistic support, chronic disease management, and tools that support lifestyle changes.Panelists spoke about "Matching Employee Expectations to Economic Realities: Where Leaders Should Focus" during the virtual panel session (photo by From Day One)Essentia Health strives to handle much of its benefits in house from the health plan perspective, Von Arb says, while identifying gaps where additional support is needed. The organization continues to focus on chronic disease management, covering weight loss medications such as GLP-1s, and exploring options that support lifestyle and life management changes.The organization also “built out a more robust value-based design strategy,” he said. This is done by getting groups of leaders together from the various departments. Doing so helps to answer the question, “How do we get members to engage with their own health journey?”Young stated that choice and flexibility based on different plan designs along with a robust mental health program were some solutions her company has offered to employees. “We’ve tried to introduce a variety of benefits that touch all aspects of the employee experience,” said Young. Cruz added that employers are expanding women’s and family health benefits and that employees increasingly expect more holistic support. She is especially enthusiastic about Maven’s maternity program, which helps employees in rural or underserved areas access care and supports them throughout pregnancy and the post-pregnancy period.How Technology Plays a RoleTechnology is also changing workers’ support in a major way. “Technology extends the ability for individuals to access, not just care, but high quality care if they live in an area where access is limited for whatever reason,” said Cruz. “Clients really utilize Maven’s round-the-clock virtual support.” “We’re focused on data-driven personalized coordinated care and helping employers deliver that to their employees and we’re also really focused on offering a seamless patient experience,” said Cruz. Technology and AI can really help members with their journey. When AI is used, it can help employees navigate all the options from a healthcare perspective, says Young. Personalization is vital because everyone’s journey is different. But to be effective, it has to be employee friendly, Von Arb said. From an HR perspective, many AI tools have made progress in this area, though some payroll, benefits, and HR systems still lag in using AI to support the employee experience.Ultimately, the discussion underscored that effective benefits strategies are no longer about adding more offerings, but about designing systems that are accessible, affordable, and responsive to employees’ real lives. As expectations continue to evolve post-Covid, employers face growing pressure to listen closely, personalize thoughtfully, and leverage technology in ways that genuinely support health, well-being, and long-term economic security.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photo by Benjamas Deekam/iStock)
Utilizing AI to Turn Employee Sentiment into a Strategic Advantage
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski December 15, 2025AI’s role has grown far beyond automation, reshaping how organizations generate insight and intelligence. That expansion brings new risks, but also new opportunities to use AI in ways that are ethical, human-centered, and effective.That balance is familiar to Shawn Overcast, general manager of enterprise solutions at Explorance. The global feedback and insights platform operates in more than 50 countries across five continents and has long focused on using AI to surface human potential, not replace it.During a thought leadership spotlight titled, “Responsible AI as the Intelligence Layer: Turning Employee Sentiment Into a Strategic Advantage” at From Day One’s Miami conference, Overcast shared her company’s background with AI and detailed how using this tool can and should be done in a responsible manner.Explorance started doing research and development with the AI space regarding machine learning about eight years ago. “We were at this before AI was cool,” said Overcast. Explorance launched its AI-centric solution, MLY, three years ago. Short for machine learning that answers the question why, the tool was deliberately developed to inform decisions about people as well as the actions taken with them, Overcast says.MLY reflects Explorance’s approach to responsible AI. The employee sentiment analysis tool helps organizations make sense of open-ended feedback, turning employee comments into insight and competitive advantage without losing the human context.Challenges With AI“With great potential comes great risk and great challenge,” said Overcast. Some problems with AI, says Overcast, include bias, transparency, data fragmentation, skill gaps, and privacy. “The data, the algorithms within AI, are only as fair as the data that it’s trained on,” said Overcast. “So, if there is bias in our hiring models, in our promotion data, for example, then the AI algorithm will carry with it inherent bias.”Shawn Overcast, general manager, enterprise solutions at Explorance, led the sessionThe transparency challenge deals with the black box theory, which is the inability to trace back as to why we’re getting the results we are. It’s often hard to trace it back and it’s important to do so to understand the source.Another AI challenge is data fragmentation. “I’ve been at this for a long time and that has always been a problem,” said Overcast. “Working with data silos is a real thing, a real challenge in our organizations, but it also presents a real challenge with being able to integrate all of that together,” Overcast said.Skill gaps also present a problem with AI use. “This is a real challenge for some organizations, because it’s not necessarily what we hired for,” said Overcast. “We hired more for the people aspect of the role, or the process aspect of the role, but not necessarily how to adopt new technology quickly.”Lastly, privacy is an extremely important issue and ultimate challenge at times with AI. Employee information must be protected, and businesses have to be cautious about how the collected data is used. As some of the challenges in contrast to what AI can provide, Overcast assures that these challenges aren’t ones that should cause us to step back, but rather insights that can help us do things with more thought. The 7 Principles of Responsible AIAs the HR team stands at the intersection of innovation and responsibility, it’s important to know how to pursue responsible AI. There are seven principles of responsible AI including the following: fairness and inclusion, transparency and interpretability, accountability and governance, accuracy and decision integrity, privacy and consent, purpose and human intent, and reliability and safety.“AI is not just a technology conversation, it is an ethical conversation, it is a mindset that we need to have, and these help us with quality control about the information we use to make decisions about people,” said Overcast.When pursuing fairness and inclusion, it’s important to make sure that AI amplifies every voice and that all employees are heard equally. Overcast offered an example about a global manufacturer that wanted to do a sentiment analysis across its manufacturing plants across the globe. With use of AI and multi-lingual analysis, it was discovered that a specific work group was having challenges with workload and wellness which was at a Spanish-speaking plant. In the past, if there weren’t Spanish-speaking employees on the main HR team, the data couldn’t be uncovered quickly as it had to be translated and analyzed separately. However, now with AI, it’s the same process regarding all employee comment data and the decisions are now made at the same time.As for transparency and interpretability, the black box problem exists. The data goes in, results come back; however, we don’t understand why and where the recommendation comes from. There are questions that may come up regarding the sentiment, the topic, or the tone. When using AI, it’s important that the recommendation is ultimately traceable back to the source comment. It’s vital to have trust in the data.The last responsible AI topic discussed by Overcast was privacy and consent. It’s vital to protect employee data and there are ways to do so with AI. For example, redaction provides a way to ensure employee data privacy. It’s important to ensure the organization is protected, too. Wherever you are in your AI journey, Overcast advises keeping the seven principles of responsible AI front and center. That includes educating teams on AI’s limitations and recognizing that, while powerful, it is not always accurate. Transparency and human oversight are essential, and responsible AI principles should guide every stage of how the technology is used.Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)
Students Feel Ready for the Workplace. Managers See a Gap. What Now?
BY Kristen Kwiatkowski November 17, 2025How prepared are students really for the post-graduate job market? Nearly 98% of students feel confident in their professional communication and 85% feel they’re ready to learn new tools on the job; however, 60% of employers have fired a Gen Z employee, according to a recent study.“Clearly there’s a disconnect between the actual skill-readiness and the perceived skill-readiness,” said Stéphanie Durand, VP of strategic partnerships at CodeSignal, a skills assessment and AI-powered learning tool company. Durand shared insights on this solvable disconnect during a thought leadership spotlight titled, “Students Feel Ready. Managers Disagree. What Now?” at From Day One’s Midtown conference. New innovations that occur daily increase pressure on candidates to have the right job skills. At the same time, employers may rely on traditional hiring methods, such as CVs and the applicant’s school, rather than focusing on actual skills. “This career readiness gap, as I like to call it, has a real impact,” said Durand.Especially amid advancements in AI and other workplace shifts, many entry-level hires feel unprepared, according to recent research. “You can imagine the type of pressure it causes from a performance perspective,” said Durand. The data shows it’s more around soft skills than technical skills, she says. “We keep talking about technical skills evolving every day and AI, but soft skills are actually a real gap.”Another impact of the career readiness gap, says Durand, is the cost of hiring and retraining as someone who may be less prepared will require more mentoring. The Reality of Being Lifelong Learners Stéphanie Durand, VP of strategic partnerships at CodeSignal, led the sessionAnother big change is that we’ve all become lifelong learners. In the past, we used to go to school, get a degree, and choose our career path. Today, skills are quickly evolving, says Durand. “I think the average shelf life of a skill is 18 months,” she said. “This may have even gone lower with GenAI.”With this in mind, it’s important to continuously upskill to keep up with the skills and even go beyond what universities offer by providing avenues for employees to continuously learn, says Durand.However, Durand cautions that the learning options available to employees may not always be effective. “There’s too much training that is very off-the-shelf, video-based, theoretical, and really doesn’t align to the skills that employees need,” said Durand. Durand highlights the point by providing the example of learning to play an instrument or to play tennis and how you need to practice these skills to really learn them. Simply watching a video on the topic won’t be enough. How Companies Ensure a Ready-to-Work HireThere are three main ways that companies turn a ready-or-not hire into a ready-to-work hire: skills assessment, closing the skills gap, and AI leverage, says Durand. Skills verification is the first best practice, whether for hiring or evaluating your early talent that joins the team. Focus on core skills, not as much on specialized skills, because you may overlook some great hires otherwise. Next, try to avoid multiple choice questions, as these may not really give you an objective assessment of a skill. You should also ensure that when using an assessment that it’s fair and consistent. Durand states that any assessments that are validated by I/O psychologists may be good options. Once you’ve assessed your future hires and noted any skills gaps, you want to close the skills gap. This can be accomplished by hands-on, practical learning interventions rather than multiple choice questions as the former provides a good way to close the skills gap and evaluate potential hires, says Durand.AI can also be a game changer, Durand says. Using an AI tutor enhances learning by providing active feedback, helping individuals prepare for job roles or improving experiential learning for new hires. Unlike passive videos, this approach guides users on how to improve specific skills and job duties.The Future Looks Bright“There’s a lot of uncertainty but also a lot of opportunity ahead,” says Durand.To illustrate the impact of hands-on learning, Durand shared a case study. eBay runs a program for potential interns where participants complete a coding skills assessment before and after the program, and the results are striking, with scores showing a significant jump after the hands-on experience.“Pairing the assessment of skills of your workforce, really being intentional about the type of learning you deploy, and then reassessing again is really where we see eBay as an example, but a lot of companies are going in that direction, too,” said Durand. There is so much happening in universities and in the workplace that gives Durand hope and confidence, including competency-based education, real-world experiences that prepare students for employer expectations, and helping future graduates understand the language of the corporate world.Editor's note: From Day One thanks our partner, CodeSignal, for sponsoring this thought leadership spotlight. Kristen Kwiatkowski is a professional freelance writer covering a wide array of industries, with a focus on food and beverage and business. Her work has been featured in Eater Philly, Edible Lehigh Valley, Cider Culture, and The Town Dish. (Photos by Josh Larson for From Day One)