In Episode 71 of the Talent Sherpa Podcast, Jackson O. Lynch and co-host Scott Morris examine the 2025 McKinsey HR Monitor and its tough assessment of the function. HR is lagging at a time when the stakes could not be higher.

The discussion begins with workforce planning. Too many organizations are still filling seats instead of building scenario-driven, strategy-aligned plans. The hosts argue for anticipating disruption, planning for skill obsolescence, and designing work by starting with future business needs and working backward.

Next comes talent acquisition. With nearly half of new hires failing within 18 months, the traditional hiring process is not working. Jackson and Scott challenge outdated measures such as time to fill and emphasize the real outcome that matters: speed to impact. Success requires sharper role design, structured interviews, and accountability for productivity, not activity.

They also highlight how fragmented HR processes undermine results. Development, succession, performance, and employee experience must be integrated around clear outcomes rather than operating in silos. The episode closes with a warning: if CHROs do not lead the AI agenda, IT will, and HR will miss its chance to define the future of work.

This is a call for bold leadership. HR must realign around outcomes, embrace AI as a core lever, and move decisively to secure its role as a driver of business performance.