Digital HR Leaders with David Green

AI is changing tasks. Skills strategies are evolving. And yet visibility into capability, cost, and risk across the workforce often remains fragmented. So how do organisations move from reacting to workforce change, to planning for it in a way that actually shapes business outcomes? In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, host David Green is joined by David Edwards, strategic workforce planning practitioner, advisor, and author of The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook, to explore what it really takes to make strategic workforce planning work in practice. Join this conversation as they discuss: Why workforce planning can feel “deceptively threatening” inside an organisation  What changes when leaders shift from thinking about headcount to thinking about capability, capacity, cost, and risk over time  What goes wrong when people analytics and workforce planning operate in parallel Why looking beyond permanent employees reveals hidden workforce risk How AI is forcing organisations to rethink work design, not just skills strategies The stakeholders' strategic workforce planning really needs This episode is sponsored by Worklytics. How productive is your organisation, really? Worklytics makes it clear - with privacy-first insights from everyday work data. See how meeting volume, manager effectiveness, collaboration health, and AI adoption are impacting your team’s focus, efficiency, and outcomes - so you can make smarter decisions, faster. No surveys. No assumptions. Just clear insight into work. Right now, Worklytics is offering podcast listeners a free 30-day trial of their productivity analytics dashboard. Learn more at worklytics.co/productivity . Link to resources: The Strategic Workforce Planning Handbook  David Edwards’ Dark Artistry Newsletter 

AI was supposed to make work more efficient. So why are people busier than ever? As organisations move into 2026, many leaders are realising that while technology has changed quickly, the fundamentals of how work gets done haven’t kept up. Activity is increasing, output is accelerating in places - yet coordination, focus, and decision-making often feel harder than before. So what’s actually going on? In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, David Green is joined by Philip Arkcoll, Founder and CEO of Worklytics, to unpack this very question.  Join this dynamic duo, as they discuss: What the data reveals around where organisations were getting stuck in 2025, and how the way we work is changing in 2026 What collaboration and activity data reveals that traditional HR metrics often miss Why decision-making, not output, is becoming the primary bottleneck in AI-enabled organisations How increasing spans of control are reshaping the role, and load, of managers The emerging divide between teams and individuals who are benefiting from AI and those who aren’t What HR and people analytics leaders can do to measure, diagnose, and redesign how work actually happens This episode is sponsored by Worklytics. Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption.  By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work = Learn more at worklytics.co/ai  Link to resources: 5 Ways Work Will Change in 2026 

Why are so many HR leaders experiencing “what just happened?” moments at work - and what does it really take to respond to authoritarian leadership with courage instead of fear? That’s the question Kristen Kavanaugh, Leadership Strategist, former Head of DEI and Talent Management at Tesla, explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast. In this episode, host David Green sits down with Kristen to unpack what happens when fear quietly becomes the operating system inside organisations, why authoritarian leadership styles are becoming increasingly normalised, and how HR leaders can reclaim their agency in environments shaped by power, pressure, and public leadership behaviour. Tune in and learn: Why fear-based leadership creates short-term gains but long-term damage Why HR leaders often underestimate the agency they actually have How Kristen’s Agency Loop framework helps leaders navigate tension, misalignment, and difficult decisions What courageous leadership looks like as AI reshapes roles, skills, and power at work Why HR has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to shape a more humane future of work This episode is sponsored by Worklytics. Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption.  By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work = Learn more at worklytics.co/ai  Link to resources: Courage over Fear: Harness the Power of Agency to Lead in Uncertain Times 

Why do organisations keep repeating the same mistakes when it comes to hybrid work - and are they now doing the same with AI? That’s the question Brian Elliott, one of the most respected voices on the future of work, explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast. In this episode, host David Green sits down with Brian to unpack why the hybrid and return-to-office debate continues to create tension between leaders and employees, despite years of data and experience, and the striking parallels between how organisations handled hybrid work and how many are now approaching AI adoption. Tune in and learn: Why the hybrid and return-to-office debate continues to divide leaders and employees What the evidence says about making hybrid work effective for both people and the business The similarities between hybrid work decisions and today’s AI adoption challenges How AI is changing entry-level roles and long-term talent pipelines The biggest barriers organisations face when trying to change long-established ways of working Why leadership behaviour ultimately determines whether change sticks This episode is sponsored by Worklytics. Worklytics helps leaders understand how work actually happens with data-driven insights into collaboration, productivity and AI adoption.  By analysing real work patterns - from meetings to tool usage - they empower teams to work = Learn more at worklytics.co/ai  Link to resources: Five leadership lessons for "tough" CEOs The burnout age The job market and AI 

As we begin a new year, it’s natural to reflect on what’s changed - and what’s quietly no longer fit for purpose. AI investment is accelerating at pace, and autonomous and semi-autonomous agents are moving from experimentation to everyday work. And yet, many organisations are still operating with leadership models, workforce structures, and planning assumptions designed for a world where humans were the only actors in the system. In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, David Green is joined by Sandra Durth, Partner at McKinsey & Company, to explore what happens when work is no longer just human-to-human, but human-to-agent - and what that means for the future of organisations. Drawing on McKinsey’s latest research, Sandra shares her perspective on: How AI-human symbiosis is reshaping the very definition of work Why traditional hierarchies and leadership models are starting to break down What “agentic leadership” really looks like in practice  The implications for performance, management capability, and strategic workforce planning The biggest opportunities - and the biggest risks - HR leaders need to be paying attention to right now Links to research: The agentic organization: Contours of the next paradigm for the AI era Six shifts to build the agentic organization of the future Rethink management and talent for agentic AI 

Can AI fuel a people-first transformation at global scale? At UPS, the answer is a resounding yes. While many companies view AI through the lens of automation and efficiency, UPS is taking a radically different approach: treating AI as an enabler of human growth, not a replacement for it. In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, host David Green is joined by Danelle McCusker, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Talent, Learning and Culture at UPS, to explore how the company is redefining what workforce transformation looks like in the age of AI. With over half a million employees and a deeply rooted culture of promotion from within, UPS faces a unique challenge: how to prepare its people for a future defined by emerging technologies - while preserving trust, purpose, and opportunity. Join them as Danelle and David explore: Why UPS is designing AI implementations to relieve frontline burdens and elevate the value of human work - not eliminate it. How a pilot with Valence’s AI coach Nadia is creating access to consistent, personalised development for employees well beyond the executive tier. The role of psychological safety and experimentation in successful AI adoption How HR and technology teams are partnering to drive cultural and capability transformation What other HR leaders can learn from UPS’s intentional, business-first approach to AI Whether you're in the early stages of your AI journey or looking for practical ways to align tech with talent strategy, this conversation offers both inspiration and actionable insights from the front lines of change. This episode is sponsored by Valence. Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level.   Learn more at valence.co/insight222 

Performance expectations are rising - but the systems designed to support people haven’t kept up. In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, host David Green is joined by Parker Mitchell, CEO and Founder of Valence, to explore how AI is transforming the way organisations think about performance.  Tune is as they explore:  Why traditional performance management still feels broken How AI coaching can support real-time performance improvement at scale How trust, context, and timing make the difference in effective AI tools What changes when every employee has access to a personal coach  The signals that show AI coaching is driving real performance impact How HR leaders can start small - but smart - when exploring AI coaching This episode is sponsored by Valence. Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level.   Learn more at valence.co/insight222 

In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, Katarina Berg - CHRO at On, former CHRO at Spotify, and author of Bold: A New Era of Strategic HR - joins David Green to explore what modern, strategic HR leadership truly requires. Together, they dive into the evolving partnership between the CHRO and CEO - a relationship that has never been more critical as organisations navigate AI, workforce transformation, culture, and business growth. Katarina shares how HR leaders can bring both insight and humanity to the executive table, shape decisions that drive business outcomes, and intentionally design a culture that empowers people to perform. The conversation covers:What a genuinely strategic CHRO-CEO relationship looks like - and how to build itHow Katarina approached her first 100 days as CHRO at On, and the lessons she’s bringing into the next phase of growthWhy “putting the H back in HR” is essential in the AI eraHow people analytics teams can evolve into true insight and decision-driving partnersWhy intentional leadership - not just tools or trends - will define the next era of HR This is a must-listen for HR leaders who want to elevate their strategic influence and lead with courage, clarity, and humanity. This episode is sponsored by Valence.Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level. Learn more at valence.co/insight222 Links referenced in the conversation:Bold: A New Era of Strategic HR2025 HR Predictions: Looking Into the Crystal Ball

Why do some teams click while others struggle, despite having top talent? That’s exactly what our host David Green explores in this episode of the Digital HR Leaders podcast, with guest Dr. Colin Fisher - PhD Programme Director at UCL School of Management and author of The Collective Edge. With a background in organisational behaviour, Colin brings a fresh lens to one of the most critical - and misunderstood - aspects of modern work: how teams are structured, and how that structure shapes everything from communication to creativity to performance. Join them and learn more about: Why the seeds of team success - or failure - are planted before Day One The 60-30-10 rule for high-performing teams (and why most leaders focus on the wrong 10%) How to design work that kills free-riding and boosts engagement Why psychological safety is a non-negotiable - and how to build it fast How AI and team design intersect, and what leaders need to do right now This episode is sponsored by Valence. Imagine if every employee had a world-class coach in their pocket. That’s exactly what Valence has created with Nadia - the AI-powered coach helping Fortune 500 companies scale development, boost performance, and support leaders at every level. Learn more at valence.co/insight222