HR Data Labs

David Turetsky speaks with IBEJesus Prince from HR Data Labs Consulting about their time at the NACO conference and what stood out most. The conversation is short but clear: the event brought together people who were focused on finding practical solutions, and even attendees outside the immediate decision-making circle were willing to help connect the dots.  Key topics  In this episode, David Turetsky introduces the conversation from the HR Data Labs Podcast and frames it around the team’s experience at the NACO conference.  IBEJesus Prince, a principal consultant at HR Data Labs Consulting, shares a broad conference takeaway: the people at NACO were genuinely solution-driven.  A major theme is the value of openness at the conference — even people who were not directly responsible for making decisions still cared about moving a solution forward.  The guest notes that asking questions often led to the right person, which made the event feel collaborative rather than blocked by hierarchy.  Commissioners and other officials were mentioned as people the team met, reinforcing that the event brought together stakeholders with influence and interest.  The conversation highlights a contrast between environments where non-experts become blockers and this conference, where people helped route questions and support progress.  IBEJesus emphasizes that the organization and the people they met left a strong positive impression.  The episode closes, suggesting this was a brief conference check-in rather than a full-length interview.  Timestamps  00:00 - Testing the audio and getting set up 01:41 - David introduces the HR Data Labs Podcast and the guest 01:57 - Why the NACO conference was the focus of the conversation 02:08 - A quick personal icebreaker before the main topic 03:41 - First conference takeaway: people were solution-driven 04:06 - Commissioners and officials were open to connecting people to answers   04:33 - Why the event felt collaborative instead of blocked by hierarchy 04:52 - The conversation wraps up early

David Turetsky and Sushma Tripathi discuss where human capital management is headed, why HR modernization is harder than simply adding new software, and what leaders need to fix first. Sushma brings more than 25 years of HCM strategy experience across product, operations, staffing software, and advisory work, so the conversation stays grounded in what organizations are actually facing.In this episode, they focus on the shift from transactional HR to AI-enabled operations, the burden of process and technology debt, and why workforce management is becoming the backbone of modern HR transformation.  Key topics  Sushma Tripathi’s background spans HR, benefits, actuarial work, product development, COO and CPO roles, and strategic advisory work, giving her a broad view of HCM change.  The industry is moving from transactional HR to more intelligent, integrated, AI-enabled operations.  Many organizations are stuck with fragmented processes, legacy systems, unclear ownership, and outdated configurations that no longer match current needs.  Process debt and technology debt are major blockers, especially when old workflows and old system settings keep surviving years of change.  Decision rights confusion is a recurring issue - HR, operations, finance, and IT often all touch the same workflows without clear ownership.  AI readiness is limited by data quality, governance, and change management, not by the AI tools themselves.  Workforce management is emerging as the anchor for operational excellence, especially around scheduling, labor models, compliance, productivity, and outcomes.  Employee self-service and manager self-service still matter, but users now expect experiences that feel as simple and intuitive as consumer apps.  Many organizations are asking whether to buy new technology or improve what they already have first.  Sushma emphasizes that HR is becoming a strategic operations partner, not just a people-management function.  Timestamps  00:32 - Welcome to the HR Data Labs podcast and introduction to the conversation 01:44 - Sushma Tripathi’s 25-plus years in HCM strategy and leadership 03:47 - A personal story about hiking and the challenge of Angels Landing 06:25 - Transitioning into the real topic: HCM modernization and AI 07:47 - Why HR is moving from transactional work to intelligent, AI-enabled operations 09:59 - Process debt and technology debt are slowing organizations down 11:57 - Why employee and manager self-service still matters 14:52 - Why maturity level changes the pace of modernization 16:52 - Where organizations should start when modernization feels overwhelming 18:29 - How AI should fit into end-to-end workflows, not just isolated tasks 19:24 - Why governance and data configuration are still foundational 21:25 - Why every organization needs continuous operating-model revision 22:33 - Cleaning, combining, and using data before expecting better outcomes 23:03 - Baby steps, outside help, and why AI tools do not fix broken processes 25:39 - Why workforce management is the biggest concern going forward 26:02 - What workforce management includes beyond time tracking 27:00 - Compliance, fines, penalties, and brand risk in workforce management 28:28 - Closing thoughts and goodbye  Notable quotes  “Data quality, not AI, is actually the biggest barrier.”  “Because just because you have a hammer, everything is not a nail.”  “You can't just go into Chat GPT and say fix me.” 

Jennifer McClure joins David Turetsky to unpack how her career in HR, executive search, speaking, and coaching led to Disrupt HR. The conversation focuses on why HR gets blamed for business problems, how leaders can stop using HR as a scapegoat, and why true disruption means rethinking both broken processes and the ones that only seem fine.  Jennifer McClure shares a practical case for moving HR beyond administration and into real business influence, while David Turetsky pushes on the everyday realities of performance management, remote work, compensation, and accountability.    Key topics  In this episode, Jennifer traces her path from nearly 20 years in corporate HR leadership to executive search, then into speaking, coaching, and launching Unbridled Talent.  She explains how Disrupt HR began as a way to surface ideas from people who may not have a speaker reel or prior speaking experience but still have something meaningful to say about the future of work.  Jennifer argues that HR was originally built as an administrative function, but the profession has evolved and now has a chance to influence business strategy far more directly.  She challenges the old “seat at the table” mindset and says the real issue is not seating, but whether HR leaders actually understand the business and how people drive results.  David and Jennifer discuss how HR often becomes the dumping ground for decisions leaders do not want to own, especially around performance management, compensation, culture, and employee relations.  Jennifer emphasizes that HR should not automatically say “no” and take the blame. Instead, managers should be required to make the case and own their decisions.  The conversation uses examples from remote work and compensation to show how easily leaders pass responsibility to HR without first having the difficult conversation themselves.  Jennifer explains that Disrupt HR is not just about fixing broken systems. It also asks whether working processes could be simpler, faster, more human, or more useful.  She compares workplace experiences to consumer experiences, like Netflix recommendations, Amazon suggestions, and frustrating phone trees, to show how people expect better design at work.  David and Jennifer talk about the value of short-form ideas, different audience reactions, and why a talk or process does not need to please everyone to be worthwhile.  Jennifer closes by encouraging listeners to disrupt themselves, their organizations, and even processes that appear to be working well, because innovation often starts with a better question.    Timestamps  00:00 - Intro to Jennifer McClure and the HR Data Labs conversation  01:10 - From corporate HR leadership to executive search and speaking  03:34 - Why Unbridled Talent got its name and what Jennifer does now  04:37 - Executive coaching, speaking, and the origins of Disrupt HR  05:20 - A fun fact: farming, horses, and Tennessee roots  07:08 - Why the topic of HR disruption matters right now  08:12 - Why HR has been seen as ripe for disruption  09:23 - From administrative personnel work to “seat at the table”  10:20 - What “being strategic” in HR really means  11:06 - Talent strategy and business strategy should be integrated  12:04 - The real opportunity for HR influence and business impact  13:32 - Why some leaders still only want transactional HR  14:19 - Business leaders blaming HR for problems they do not want to own  16:10 - Reframing “HR always says no” into manager accountability  17:45 - A real example of remote work, blame, and chain-of-command confusion  19:48 - Compensation example: when a late request cannot be approved     21:27 - How HR can remove itself as the scapegoat and push ownership back up  23:08 - What Disrupt HR actually is and how the format works  24:30 - Bringing in voices from outside HR to improve work  25:57 - Disruption is not only for broken things  26:46 - Looking at consumer experiences to redesign workplace processes  28:32 - Why outdated phone trees and apply processes frustrate people  29:05 - The importance of asking why a process exists in the first place  30:42 - Over 11,000 five-minute Disrupt HR talks and why the format works  31:55 - Why not every presentation lands with every person  33:47 - Preparing a keynote and accepting mixed audience feedback  35:02 - Why short, focused presentations fit how people consume information now  36:39 - Where to learn more about Disrupt HR and why disagreement matters  37:07 - Laurie Ruettimann, strong opinions, and learning from disagreement  38:32 - What listeners should take from short talks and different viewpoints  40:20 - Final thoughts on disrupting work, organizations, and yourself    Notable quotes  “I think HR gets blamed for a lot.”  "I challenge you to disrupt yourself, your organization, your people.”  “This is the definition of innovation.”    Action items  Ask why a process exists before assuming it should stay the same.  If a manager wants to take action, ask them to own the decision and make the case.  Look for one process that is broken and one that seems fine but could be better.  Compare your workplace experience to the consumer experience you expect outside work.  Revisit assumptions about HR being the default owner of every uncomfortable business problem. 

In this episode of HR Data Labs Podcast, host David Turetsky is joined by Betsy Irizarry, CEO and founder of HR Contempo, to unpack one of the most overlooked compensation risks in modern organizations: pay compression. They also discuss how AI, labor market pressure, mergers and acquisitions, and communication gaps are reshaping workforce strategy and employee trust. Betsy brings 25-plus years of HR experience across industries including technology, professional services, agriculture, and energy, making this a practical conversation about what leaders are missing and what they need to do next.  Key topics  Betsy Irizarry shares how HR Contempo helps organizations with human capital issues, especially mergers and acquisitions and compensation work.  Pay compression is becoming more common as companies raise pay to compete for new hires while leaving long-tenured employees behind.  Labor market pressure is intensifying the problem, especially in skilled trades like plumbing and electrical work tied to data centers and other growth sectors.  David and Betsy connect today’s compensation challenges to pandemic-era pay decisions that created long-term ripple effects.  Mergers and acquisitions often focus on financial and operational integration while overlooking compensation structure and job analysis.  Simply matching job titles is not enough in M&A work because the actual work, scope, and responsibilities may be very different.  AI is creating a new kind of compensation pressure as companies pay more for employees who can use AI tools to generate insights and move faster.  Betsy argues that organizations must balance AI adoption with institutional knowledge, since experienced employees still bring critical context.  Workforce readiness for AI is uneven, so organizations need to assess who can reskill and who may struggle to adapt.  Total rewards matters more than base pay alone, including benefits, 401(k), employee assistance programs, development, and other perquisites.  Communication is a major theme throughout the conversation, especially around pay transparency, manager training, and helping employees understand total compensation.  The episode closes on the idea that compensation conversations should become more open, business-oriented, and positive.  Timestamps  00:00 - Welcome to HR Data Labs Podcast and introduction to Betsy Irizarry 01:07 - Betsy’s background and HR Contempo’s focus on human capital and M&A 02:14 - Betsy’s travel habit of studying how businesses operate in different places 04:22 - Episode topic: pay compression and AI reshaping workforce strategy 05:30 - The most common compensation challenge Betsy sees across clients 06:42 - How pandemic-era pay decisions still affect compensation today 07:19 - Labor market pressure and why skilled trades are at risk of compression 08:49 - Solar and IT examples of demand spikes driving wage pressure 10:02 - Why M&A can create major pay compression if compensation is ignored 11:06 - Job description management and why titles alone do not tell the full story 12:35 - AI skills becoming a premium and the risk of losing institutional knowledge 13:37 - Should companies hire AI talent or reskill current employees? 15:23 - Why outcome-based AI use matters more than activity metrics 16:50 - Walmart self-checkout as a cautionary tale about automation and human oversight 18:49 - HR’s role as the sounding board for leaders on cost-cutting and people strategy 20:07 - What pay compression means, with a practical salary example 21:50 - Ways to address compression without giving everyone the same raise 23:27 - Why total rewards is broader than base pay and benefits 24:04 - Differences between companies with strong total compensation packages and those without 25:36 - The need to overcommunicate total rewards through statements and ongoing manager conversations 26:50 - Why merit review should include the full compensation picture 27:48 - Does pay transparency actually improve equity? 29:33 - Training managers and employees to have business-oriented pay conversations 31:04 - AI makes pay and company information easier to find, increasing the need for honest communication 32:18 - HR’s responsibility to advise leaders and support employees’ basic need to be paid fairly  Notable quotes  “AI won't replace you. Someone who understands AI and uses it as a tool will replace you if you don't.”  “At the end of the day, they just want to get paid so that they can go back home and have a good life.”  “Let's have continue to have conversation, meaningful conversations with our leaders and our employees.” 

In this episode, host David Turetsky speaks with Denise Triba, CHRO at Ingenovis Health, about how her HR team is using workflow mapping, ticketing data, and AI to improve service for clinicians and internal teams. The conversation centers on a practical, human-in-the-loop approach to AI, with Freddie, their internal AI tool, trained to handle repetitive HR questions faster and more accurately. We discuss how a workforce solutions company thinks beyond recruiting, why understanding the work before applying technology matters, and how better HR operations can improve clinician experience, response speed, and career development.  Key topics  David introduces Denise Triba, CHRO at Ingenovis Health, and frames the episode around operational data and AI in HR.  Denise explains that Ingenovis Health is a workforce solutions company supporting healthcare providers and life sciences organizations with the right workforce mix.  The discussion distinguishes Ingenovis from a traditional recruiting function, emphasizing a consultative model that optimizes client workforce needs.  Denise shares how the pandemic increased healthcare organizations’ need for more precise staffing and stronger workforce partners.  The HR team started with workflow mapping to understand exactly how work was being done before adding technology.  A ticketing system was introduced to validate assumptions and quantify the most common HR requests.  The team identified high-volume issues such as benefits enrollment and leave requests, then began training Freddie to handle those questions.  Denise describes Freddie as an internal AI tool still in beta, used between HR and IT before external release.  The conversation covers human review, validation, and hallucination prevention, with subject matter experts writing and checking training articles.  Denise explains that AI is helping reduce repetitive work, improve first-response accuracy, and free HR coordinators for more valuable work and career growth.  The episode closes with advice for HR teams: start with the process and the people doing the work, then apply technology to enhance it.  Timestamps  00:00 - Opening and introduction to the episode 00:32 - David introduces Denise Triba and Ingenovis Health 01:01 - What Ingenovis Health does as a workforce solutions company 01:47 - The kinds of healthcare roles Ingenovis supports 02:38 - Denise’s background and early interest in medicine 03:48 - Why the episode focuses on operational data and AI in HR 04:24 - Employee and clinician experience as a top priority 05:21 - Why Ingenovis is more than a recruiting team 06:33 - The mix of W-2 employees and 1099 contractors 07:34 - Why facilities choose workforce solutions over direct hiring 08:33 - How healthcare organizations changed after the pandemic 09:04 - Starting with workflow mapping before introducing AI 10:03 - Using ticketing data to validate top HR call categories 10:29 - Tracking 3,000 calls and training Freddie with real data 11:33 - How workflow data shows friction and points to automation 12:10 - Faster, more accurate information for clinicians and HR coordinators 12:55 - Benefits enrollment as the most common question 13:22 - Other repeat requests like leave support 14:34 - Writing articles to train Freddie on core answers 15:04 - Subject matter experts validating Freddie’s responses 15:48 - Avoiding misinformation and limiting scope during early rollout 16:34 - How Freddie is used internally in beta 17:22 - Better capture rates and fewer repeat follow-up emails 18:44 - Extending clinician satisfaction through better service 20:15 - When Freddie needs human support and escalation 20:40 - Employment verification as an example of a hybrid workflow 21:43 - Using AI across client-facing and sales-side operations 22:59 - What surprised the team most about implementing AI 23:56 - How the project is expanding into other HR workflows 24:27 - Addressing fears that AI would take jobs away 26:05 - Cost considerations and working within budget 27:21 - The value of strong HR and IT partnership 28:37 - Advice for HR teams considering AI adoption 29:28 - Closing reflections on the scientific, process-first approach 29:54 - Looking ahead to future updates on Freddie and beyond  Notable quotes  “You really need to understand the what before you start to apply the how.”  “If you have to teach someone, you learn it.”  “This isn’t about a workforce change internally. This is about how do we get better."