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The People Managing People podcast equips forward-thinking leaders to thrive in the AI era—reshaping teams, systems, and strategy without losing what makes work human. Hosted by David Rice, each episode brings real-world insights from innovators, executives, and people leaders on topics like AI in practice, people-first leadership, performance systems, and workplace culture.
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We’ve all heard the pitch: “Hybrid work is the future.” But dig beneath the slogans and you’ll find wildly different realities—some thriving, others quietly imploding. In this episode, I sit down with Lynette Caruso, a PhD candidate at Australian National University, to unpack her field research across public and private sectors on what makes hybrid work succeed—or fail. From the power of casual coffee chats to the pitfalls of hot desking, Lynette shows how flexible policies often collapse un...
We’ve spent the last few years talking about mental health at work like it’s always a crisis—trauma, burnout, damage done. Bryan Power, Head of People at Nextdoor, thinks that framing actually makes the conversation harder. Instead, what if we positioned mental health as something everyone can access, not just people in distress? In this episode, we cut through the jargon and look at resilience, performance, and the everyday practices that actually help people do their best work. Bryan and I ...
What happens when an executive quietly outsources performance reviews to ChatGPT? Or when your C-suite is loudly preaching about AI adoption while refusing to touch the tools themselves? In this episode, I sit down with Talk HR to Me columnist and Head of People at Quantum Metric, Alana Fallis, to tackle real listener questions in a live advice-column format. We dig into the messy realities of AI in the workplace—from misplaced trust in automated reviews, to the awkward theater of “innovation...
Layoffs are often treated like a dirty secret—a rushed, impersonal process designed to move people out the door with as little friction as possible. But the way you offboard employees says just as much about your company culture as the way you welcome them in. In this episode, I sit down with Jena Dunay, founder of Recruit the Employer and host of Culture Uncovered, to talk about how organizations can approach layoffs, exits, and alumni relations with dignity—and why that matters more than ev...
If you’ve ever sat through a personality test during hiring and thought, “This feels a bit like corporate astrology”—you’re not wrong. In this episode, I talk with Jason Hreha, Founder & CEO of Persona, about why so many workplace assessments are built on outdated theories and questionable science, and how to separate the gimmicks from the tools that actually help you hire better. We dig into what reliability and predictive validity really mean, why they’re non-negotiables for any credibl...
The word “engagement” gets thrown around a lot—but what does it really mean in today’s workplace? In this candid, first-half conversation with Kamaria Scott, industrial-organizational psychologist and founder of Enetic, we take a hard look at how the definition of engagement has drifted, how the psychological contract between employees and employers has frayed, and why trust is harder to come by in the aftermath of layoffs, AI hype, and corporate euphemisms. Kamaria brings the receipts. From ...
Most leaders assume that transparency around pay and finances will sow discord or fuel envy. Mel Price is living proof that the opposite is possible. As co-founder and CEO of Work Program Architects, she’s spent the last 15 years running a firm with full salary and financial transparency—by design, not by accident. The result? A company where people understand how money moves, why decisions are made, and how their own work ladders up to business outcomes. In this episode, we talk about what i...
HR leaders say they want a seat at the table—but too often, they show up without speaking the language. In this episode, David talks with Julie Mahfouz Rezvani, Managing Director of The Orion Group, about the critical gap between HR's people expertise and the commercial acumen needed to drive real business impact. Julie brings clarity to the misunderstood concept of "HR as a cost center," unpacking the ways HR can become indispensable by translating people insights into financial impact. They...
What happens when your mission statement no longer fits the company you're building? For Chase Warrington, Head of Operations at Doist, that question wasn’t rhetorical—it was a radical prompt that reshaped their culture. In this candid, live conversation recorded from the lawn of a remote work conference in Austin, Chase and David Rice unpack how purpose gets defined, tested, and redefined in remote-first companies—and why so many organizations still get it wrong. We dig into why aligning you...
We’ve heard all the usual suspects when it comes to remote engagement—Slack check-ins, virtual happy hours, maybe an annual engagement survey if we’re lucky. But what if the problem isn’t the tools, but the assumptions? In this episode, David Rice sits down with Dr. Adora Ikwuemesi, whose recent qualitative study of remote workers in Nigeria reveals a much deeper, more nuanced picture of what truly drives—or erodes—remote engagement. Adora walks us through her seven-part framework that emerge...
Candor is easy to value and hard to operationalize. It takes more than writing "feedback" on a poster and hoping people magically feel safe being honest. In this episode, I talk to Valentina Gissin, Chief People Officer at Garner Health, about how her team institutionalizes candor and turns culture into lived behavior—not empty slogans. We dig into radical practices like publishing peer and upward feedback company-wide, cultural onboarding through case studies, and pushing back against the il...
Most new managers aren't failing because they're bad at the job. They're failing because no one ever told them what the job actually is. In this episode, David talks with Lia Garvin, author of The New Manager Playbook, about the real barriers keeping new managers from delivering results. It's not a lack of ambition or intelligence. It's a complete absence of clear expectations, practical support, and trust—from both directions. They unpack why performance reviews so often feel arbitrary, how ...
Transitioning from the public sector to private HR isn't just a career move—it's a full-on culture shock. In this episode, Kimberly Williams, VP of People, Culture & Compliance at Walker Advertising, joins David to unpack her journey from federal HR to private enterprise, sharing hard-won lessons, surprising similarities, and the real stakes of navigating both worlds. From managing bureaucracy to confronting toxic leadership, Kimberly offers candid insights into what translates, what does...
What do tech hiring, Olympic figure skating, and the shifting tides of global work culture have in common? According to Ann Kuss, CEO of Outstaff Your Team, more than you'd think. In this episode, Ann joins David Rice to dissect the rapidly evolving landscape of tech talent: who's winning, who's losing, and why so many companies are still playing yesterday's game with today's rules. From the rise of AI-native roles to the global appetite for remote work, Ann unpacks the contradictions shaping...
Jared Kleinert, founder and CEO of Offsite, shares insights on the growing importance of team retreats in today’s distributed work environment. As remote and hybrid models become the norm, retreats have evolved from perks to essential strategies for keeping teams connected, aligned, and engaged. Jared emphasizes that planning intentional offsites is crucial for retaining talent and fostering a strong company culture. The conversation explores how to design effective retreats by setting clear ...
Kelly Meerbott, CEO of YOU: Loud and Clear, dives into the growing disconnect between the C-suite and everyday employees, exposing how middle managers become "human shock absorbers" caught between corporate pressures and workforce realities. She calls out performative leadership and urges executives to prioritize coherence over charisma, advocating for leaders who genuinely embody their values rather than just posting them online. Kelly also challenges traditional ideas around gender and lead...
Many leaders still cling to outdated management styles focused on visible productivity rather than actual outcomes, despite a dramatic shift toward distributed teams. Brian Elliott, CEO of Work Forward, explains how the rise of hybrid work and AI tools highlights the need for outcomes-based management, rather than "productivity theater." Brian also points out that return-to-office mandates often miss the mark, as workplace flexibility remains essential for attracting and retaining top talent....
Steve Cadigan, a talent advisor and former CHRO of LinkedIn, joins us to discuss the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into today’s workplace. We explore how the AI revolution stands apart from past technological shifts due to its unpredictability and ongoing development, leaving even its creators both excited and uncertain about its future. We also dive into the key question: How is your organization embracing AI? Are you fostering a culture of experimentation and innovation, or...
The shift from managing individual contributors to overseeing other managers is one of the toughest transitions in leadership. Chris Williams, former Microsoft HR VP, explores why this change is so challenging and how organizations can better support these key leaders. Chris dives into the unique struggles faced by second-level managers, including finding mentorship and translating vague strategic objectives into actionable plans. He emphasizes the importance of building influence across orga...
Workplaces have become battlegrounds for political ideologies, with DEI initiatives at the center of controversy. In this episode, host David Rice speaks with Enrique Rubio, founder of Hacking HR, about the dangers of political polarization in organizations and why leaders must take a stand. Enrique challenges listeners to move beyond acronyms and see DEI for what it truly represents—fair treatment and opportunity for all. He provides practical advice for HR professionals on setting boundarie...
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