People and Strategy

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Dawn Fay, operational president at Robert Half to unpack what the firm’s 2026 Salary Guide reveals about a cooling yet still competitive HR labor market. As wage growth moderates, Fay explores the growing tension between tighter budgets and rising expectations, where specialized skills in HR tech and analytics still command a premium. She helps to reframe the conversation beyond salary, urging HR and business leaders to rethink total rewards, flexibility, and the importance of “re-recruiting” their own teams to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving talent landscape.  Pay Equity Toolkit: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/toolkits/achieving-pay-equity-strategic-toolkit-hr-professionals   Pay Fact Sheet: https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/tools/fact-sheet/state-pay-transparency-laws-what-hr-needs-to-know Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we speak about the ROI of workplace connection with ⁠Tracy Brower⁠, vice president of workplace insights at Steelcase and author of Critical Connections. Brower shares research on the rising loneliness level and its impact on employee performance, retention, and wellbeing. She explores the role that HR leaders can play in intentionally designing systems that foster meaningful relationships — from manager development and mentoring to hybrid collaboration strategies. Brower also examines the risks of overreliance on technology, including AI, and makes the case that building authentic human connection is essential for both people and organizational success. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: ⁠https://shrm.co/nq47pr⁠   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: ⁠https://shrm.co/coy63r⁠

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Jessica Kriegel, chief strategy officer at Culture Partners and author of Surrender to Lead. Drawing on her life’s deeply personal turning points, Kriegel reflects on how learning to surrender reshaped her approach to leadership, accountability, and organizational change. Through candid stories, she challenges traditional assumptions about transparency and examines why many leaders fall into the “action trap,” mistaking activity for progress. Kriegel makes the case that modern leadership is about shifting beliefs and creating the conditions for people to choose accountability, adapt to change, and perform at their best.  Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, SHRM President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, talks with renowned business scholar and HR thought leader Dave Ulrich about how and why HR has reached a true inflection point. Ulrich reflects upon his decades of experience to explore how AI, workforce burnout, and rising expectations from boards are reshaping what organizations need from HR today. Their discussion dives deep into how HR leaders can move beyond employee experience alone to create measurable stakeholder value. Together, they reflect on the hard truths facing HR, and what it will take for the function to lead with credibility, evidence, and lasting impact.  SHRM State of the Workplace 2026 Report  2026 CHRO Priorities and Perspectives Report Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we talk with Sabrina Minor, VP and chief people officer at George Washington University. Minor shares candid stories about leading HR in a complex, 24/7 campus environment, including how she’s modernizing performance management, succession planning, and workplace flexibility across a five-generation workforce. She also explores how AI and technology can reduce workload, strengthen trust, and inform strategy. Throughout the conversation, she reflects on leadership, influence, and the courage required to drive change in environments built to evolve slowly.  Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

In this episode of People + Strategy, we sit down with Drew Holler, former senior vice president of associate experience at Walmart, where he worked for 20 years in operations and supply chain. He’s now the CHRO at the homebuilder Lennar. Holler explains how a focus on process, technology, and first-principles helped Lennar centralize HR, streamline routine work, and redirect teams toward higher-value, “inspired” work. He reflects on how the homebuilder is navigating industry headwinds around affordability and labor supply, while strengthening leadership capabilities to improve retention and readying HR for an AI-enabled future. Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r

Among SHRM’s 7 HR Trends of 2026 is workforce fragmentation, which is reshaping how organizations structure work, leadership, and culture. In this episode of People + Strategy, Nichole Oocumma, SHRM-SCP, draws on her experience leading HR across healthcare and public-sector organizations to make sense of this reality, exploring how remote, hybrid, and in-person models force difficult tradeoffs — and often create cultural tension. The conversation also examines how generational shifts and increasingly fragmented executive teams are changing the demands on today’s CHROs, requiring clearer messaging, tighter alignment, and more intentional leadership.  2026 HR Trends: Planning for Business Impact  Data Brief: Understanding the Labor Shortage Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, John Bernatovicz, founder of Willory, explores what it means to run HR as a true business function. Bernatovicz shares his journey leading payroll and executive search to building a virtual HR consultancy shaped by personal experience and values. He challenges the view of HR as purely administrative, calling on leaders to adopt an owner’s mindset grounded in financial understanding and strategic thinking. Through real-world stories, John illustrates how HR can shape culture while driving measurable business results.   Related Article: The CHRO of The Future  Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Darnell Lee, CHRO for the Chief Administrative Officer, reveals how leading HR for the U.S. House of Representatives means mastering the art of adaptability. With shifting leadership every two years and priorities that can change overnight, Lee has built a culture grounded in agility, excellence, and trust. He shares how competency models, data-driven planning, and curiosity around AI are helping the House modernize its workforce strategy. Hear what it takes to guide organizations through constant change — balancing service, stability, and innovation in one of the most dynamic workplaces in government.  Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r 

In this episode of People + Strategy, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM-SCP, president and CEO of SHRM sits down with Jackson O. Lynch, founder of The Talent Sherpa to discuss workplace safety. This special episode was recorded at the SHRM Executive Network Visionaries Summit, where the duo discussed the concept of bringing your authentic self to work and why comfort is not the same thing as safety. Tune in for real world examples from the workplace, including why it’s worthwhile to forgo comfort to give employees feedback.   For more information about the Visionaries Summit, visit https://shrm.org/enevents.  Subscribe to People + Strategy podcast to get the latest episodes, expert insights, and additional resources delivered straight to your inbox: https://shrm.co/nq47pr   ---  Explore SHRM’s all-new flagships. Content curated by experts. Created for you weekly. Each content journey features engaging podcasts, video, articles, and groundbreaking newsletters tailored to meet your unique needs in your organization and career. Learn More: https://shrm.co/coy63r