Future Proof HR

Welcome to the Future Proof HR podcast by Cleary, hosted by Thomas Kunjappu, Cleary's CEO. In this podcast, we dive into the latest innovations in HR, exploring how AI and automation are transforming people operations. Thomas regularly shares his insights on the future of work, while also bringing in thought leaders who are pushing the boundaries of AI in HR to offer fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Whether you're an HR leader aiming to optimize your operations or simply curious about how technology is reshaping the workplace, Future Proof HR is your go-to resource for actionable insights and emerging trends in HR technology.

Future Proof HR is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 89 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 82. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Future Proof HR, a business show with 89 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #84

  Kellie Shotwell on AI and Automation Across the Talent Lifecycle

  Jul 31, 202645 min

  In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Kellie Shotwell, VP of HR and Operations at SMS Group of Companies, talks about applying AI and automation across the candidate and employee lifecycle. Kellie shares how her team improved staffing operations by building smarter workflows into systems they already used rather than starting over with an entirely new technology stack. The conversation focuses on a central tension for staffing and HR leaders: how to automate administrative work without making the candidate experience feel transactional. Kellie explains how SMS uses mobile-first onboarding, personalized workflows, automated scheduling, skill-based candidate routing, and ongoing employee check-ins while keeping one recruiter connected to each candidate throughout the hiring process. Kellie also shares the operational results behind the approach. SMS reduced time to fill by roughly 75 percent, increased the rate at which candidates were hired by clients by 35 percent, extended assignment lengths by about 40 percent, and brought hospitality no-show rates below 2 percent. These gains came from faster communication, automated reminders, better use of existing candidate data, and fewer manual handoffs. The episode closes with a practical approach to AI adoption. Start with repetitive administrative work and compliance-heavy processes, involve frontline employees in workflow design, introduce changes gradually, and preserve human judgment when evaluating candidates. AI should move the process forward, but it should not replace the relationship-building that helps candidates feel seen and supported. Topics Discussed: How to apply AI across both the candidate and employee lifecycle Balancing high-volume hiring speed with a personalized candidate experience Building mobile-first application, onboarding, and document workflows Using AI to route applicants to better-fitting jobs and recruiters Re-engaging passive candidates within an existing talent database Automating 30-, 60-, and 90-day employee and client check-ins Reducing manual work in payroll, tax documentation, and compliance reporting Introducing AI workflows without eliminating recruiter ownership of relationships How employee involvement and small pilots improve AI adoption The impact of automation on time to fill, assignment length, hire-in rates, and no-shows If you lead staffing, recruiting, HR operations, or talent acquisition and are trying to identify practical AI use cases, this episode offers a grounded model for automating repetitive work while preserving the human connection that candidates and employees value. Additional Resources: Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot Connect with Kellie Shotwell on LinkedIn

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  Episode #83

  Lindsay Castro Building AI Governance That People Will Actually Follow

  Jul 15, 202644 min

  In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Jim sits down with Lindsay Castro, General Counsel and Vice President of Human Resources at HCM Unlocked, to talk about how organizations can build AI governance that employees can understand and use in practice. Lindsay explains why AI tools will continue moving faster than policies, regulations, and legal precedent. Instead of freezing or banning every new tool, she recommends starting with an inventory of how AI is already being used, assessing the data and platform risks, and giving employees clear examples of what is and is not allowed. The conversation covers confidential information, human review, discoverability, vendor contracts, embedded AI features, biometric data, and the risks of allowing AI-generated recommendations to influence people's decisions without proper oversight. Lindsay also shares how HCM Unlocked uses cross-functional ownership, tiered risk assessments, approved-platform controls, and employee feedback to govern new AI tools. The central takeaway is that a policy alone is not governance. Organizations need clear ownership, a repeatable approval process, employee education, and a living playbook that can change as technology, business needs, and legal requirements evolve. Topics Discussed: Why AI tools are moving faster than policy and legal precedent How to inventory the AI tools employees and clients are already using Why leaders should learn the tools before setting employee rules The baseline rule for keeping confidential and client data out of public AI systems How human review prevents confident but inaccurate AI output from becoming a business decision What to evaluate when approving AI platforms and recording tools How retention, discoverability, privacy, and vendor contracts affect AI risk Why embedded AI features can create new exposure inside existing HR systems How legal, HR, technology, and employees can share responsibility for AI governance How tiered risk assessments and approval workflows control new AI tools What organizations should do when AI adoption starts from the bottom up Why an AI playbook must remain a living document If you are an HR, legal, compliance, or technology leader trying to support responsible AI use without stopping experimentation, this episode offers a practical framework for creating guardrails people can actually follow. Additional Resources: Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot Future Proof HR Community Connect with Lindsay Castro on LinkedIn

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  Episode #82

  Miranda Pokoy on Building the HR Foundation Before AI

  Jul 9, 202644 min

  AI can help HR teams move faster, but Miranda Pokoy argues that it should never be the first answer to a broken process. In this Future Proof HR conversation, Miranda shares how her background in workforce planning, resource allocation, and HR infrastructure shaped her practical approach to building systems before adding technology. The episode centers on a simple question HR leaders face right now: what are we actually trying to solve for? Miranda and Jim discuss why AI and automation are most effective when they accelerate a process that is already clear, measurable, and grounded in the realities of the business. They also cover how Partnerize thinks about lean HR team design, the balance between finance-driven efficiency and people-centered optimization, and why "solve first, hire last" does not automatically mean "automate first." Miranda shares examples across hiring, learning and development, manager enablement, individual development plans, and employee growth. For HR leaders deciding where AI belongs in their function, this conversation offers a useful lens: start with the pain point, tighten the process, define the outcome, and then decide whether technology can help. Topics Discussed: Why HR teams need a strong process foundation before applying AI How workforce planning and resource allocation prepared Miranda for HR leadership The "what are we trying to solve for?" question as a prioritization tool Why automation can amplify chaos when the underlying process is weak How HR leaders can bridge finance's cost lens with people optimization What "solve first, hire last" looks like inside a lean HR team How Partnerize approached L&D without a full-time L&D resource Building ideal candidate profiles, competencies, and hiring scorecards Guardrails for using candidate profiles without creating rigid hiring filters How AI-generated resumes are changing recruiter workload and screening Making employee growth more intentional with career paths and IDPs Using technology to support manager-employee development conversations Why AI should be treated as an accelerant, not a cure If you are an HR, people operations, talent acquisition, or L&D leader thinking about where AI should fit into your organization, this episode is a practical reminder to solve the right problem before choosing the tool. Additional Resources: Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot Future Proof HR Community Connect with Miranda Pokoy on LinkedIn

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  Episode #81

  Tammy Sergie on How AI Helps Healthcare Teams Protect Time, Care, and Trust

  Jul 1, 202646 min

  In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Jim sits down with Tammy Sergie, CHRO and Privacy Officer at Edgewood Health Network in Canada, to talk about what AI adoption looks like inside a healthcare environment facing funding pressure, staffing shortages, and constant change. Tammy explains why AI is not just a cost-control tool for healthcare teams. It can help people spend less time on repetitive work and more time on the human moments that matter most. Tammy shares how mental health and addiction care creates a unique talent challenge. The work is deeply human, often emotionally demanding, and difficult to scale when clinicians and nurses are in short supply. Against that backdrop, she explains how her organization is testing AI in call center triage, clinical note-taking, patient data analysis, and an HR support bot named Eva. A major theme of the conversation is trust. Tammy talks about why AI initiatives need human oversight, clear guardrails, visible feedback loops, and communication that connects every change back to the employee experience and the patient experience. She also explains why frontline champions matter more than top-down announcements when organizations want AI to actually stick. The episode is a practical look at how HR can lead AI adoption without losing sight of the people doing the work. For Tammy, productivity only matters when it gives time and focus back to employees and improves the care experience for patients. Topics Discussed: Why Canadian healthcare funding creates pressure for HR and workforce planning How mental health and addiction care face different staffing realities than public healthcare Why do private healthcare organizations compete differently for clinicians and nurses? How employee experience becomes a talent strategy when compensation has limits Where AI is being used in call center triage, clinical note-taking, and HR support Why an HR bot can support employees in a 24/7 healthcare environment How change fatigue affects AI adoption on the front line Why executive alignment is not enough without frontline champions How feedback loops, pulse checks, and town halls make AI rollouts more visible Why guardrails and human oversight need to evolve as AI usage grows How to prioritize AI work around patient experience, employee experience, and productivity If you are an HR leader trying to introduce AI in a high-touch, high-trust environment, this episode offers a grounded look at how to balance innovation, care, employee experience, and responsible adoption. Additional Resources: Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot Future Proof HR Community Connect with Tammy Sergie on LinkedIn

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  Episode #80

  Nicole Dubois on Why Human Judgment Still Matters With AI

  Jun 23, 202644 min

  In this episode of the Future Proof HR podcast, Thomas Kunjappu sits down with Nicole Dubois, Head of HR at Parallel ENT & Allergy , to talk about why human judgment still matters as AI becomes part of everyday HR work. Nicole brings an operator's lens to the conversation. Before moving into HR, she led a region with a $60 million P&L, then moved through executive search, talent acquisition, startup people operations, and now full-suite HR in healthcare services. That path shapes how she thinks about HR's role in the business, not as a function that needs to prove its importance every day, but as one part of a larger operating system where finance, operations, IT, and people teams each have moments where they need to lead. The conversation also covers Nicole's own shift from AI skeptic to regular AI user. She talks about using AI for note-taking, resume support, interview questions, and as a way to pressure-test her thinking. But she is clear that AI should complement HR judgment, not replace it. In healthcare, recruiting, employee relations, and compliance, people still need context, empathy, human conversation, and the ability to understand what a tool cannot see. Nicole also shares how her remote HR team builds cross-functional awareness, why subject matter expertise matters when employees or patients arrive with AI-generated information, and where she draws the line in talent acquisition. AI can help surface resumes, refine interview cadence, and speed up the work, but Nicole still wants the full picture and the ability to double-check the tool's output. Topics Discussed: How Nicole Dubois moved from finance operations into full-suite HR leadership Why an operator's mindset helps HR work more effectively across the business What it means for HR to have a seat at the table without treating every function as a competition How Nicole moved from AI skepticism to using AI regularly in HR work Why AI should complement human connection instead of replacing it How healthcare shows the limits of AI when trust, expertise, and care are involved How HR can respond when employees use AI or search tools to interpret workplace issues Why subject matter expertise still matters when people arrive with partial information Where AI can help in recruiting, interview design, and resume review Why AI-only hiring creates risk, especially in human services and healthcare roles How HR teams can build broader internal knowledge through shared context and collaboration Why Nicole still wants to double-check AI's work before making people decisions If you are an HR or People Ops leader trying to use AI without losing the human judgment behind good people decisions, this episode offers a practical look at where AI can help, where it should be checked, and why real conversations still matter. Additional Resources: Cleary's AI-powered HR Chatbot Future Proof HR Community Connect with Nicole Dubois on LinkedIn

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