Lauren Tinkoff

Yesterday at NOVA SHRM's HR Academy, I shared something that resonated with the room: The best AI adopters aren't necessarily the most technical people, they're problem-solvers who iterate. At Slalom, our strongest AI users came from everywhere. What united them? They knew their pain points cold and were willing to play. Their secret weapon? No assumptions about the "right way." Just curiosity and experimentation. They tried things, compared approaches, shared what worked. Iron sharpening iron. Why does this matter? Because AI behaves more like a human teammate than traditional tech. It converses. It reasons. It needs a creative partner, not just a programmer. My advice to 100+ HR leaders at the SHRM event: 🎯 Rent before build – Custom tools get leapfrogged by the next release 🎯 90-minute AI sprints are much better than theory – Real work, real results 🎯 Use 3 guardrails people can remember over a 47-page policy – Help people? Protect data? Verify? Go. The room lit up when I said: "You won't be replaced by AI. You might be replaced by someone using AI.” Thanks Elizabeth M. for the invite and Alan Potter for the coaching! And thanks to the panel, Dr. Michelle Caryn Paul, Joseph Vinokuroff, and Krysta James Ready to unlock your hidden AI innovators? Let's talk! https://lnkd.in/eq4bsJqN #AITransformation #FutureOfWork #NOVASHRM #slalom

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Advice to CHROs Building Out Their Exec Search Function If you’re a CHRO building out internal Executive Search, here are 4 quick tips: 🎯 Hire search pros who can consult, not just recruit. 🛠️ Give them tools and access equal to external firms. 🔁 Create a feedback loop between business and search. 📊 Track metrics that matter: time-to-decision, quality of hire, and business impact. Done right, internal search becomes a competitive advantage — not a compromise. 💬 Does your company run internal executive search — and how’s it going?

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When HR runs smoother, people feel it. Sapient Insights’ 2025 Annual HR Systems Survey names isolved #1 for user experience and vendor satisfaction—see what’s behind the results and why SMBs are choosing isolved.

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When is the last time the CEO called the HR chief and asked: "Should I do this acquisition?" For most CHROs, the honest answer is never. On The TechEd Podcast with host Matt Kirchner, Peter Fasolo, Ph.D. (former CHRO of Johnson & Johnson and Director of the Institute for Leadership and Work at Boston University) makes the case for why that has to change, and what it actually takes to get there. Culture in a Crisis Is Too Late: Peter's observation from 16 years at J&J, a company founded 140 years ago on a credo written 80 years ago: if you're trying to figure out your culture in a time of great challenge, it's already too late. The organizations that hold steady through crisis, from financial upheaval to geopolitical disruption didn't succeed because their leadership made great decisions in the moment. They succeeded because the values were already embedded. Leaders already knew what was expected. The HR chief's job in those moments was to get out of the way and let the culture do its work. The AI Productivity Narrative Is Overhyped: Peter pushes back on the dominant story: most of the productivity gains companies are attributing to AI outside of the technology sector are really just the result of bloated bureaucracies finally being cleaned up. AI is the convenient explanation. The underlying cause is actually years of unnecessary process accumulation. That doesn't mean AI isn't transformative, it is. But the honest starting point isn't how do we deploy AI, it's do we even need this business process to begin with? You start with the problem, determine the minimal steps required, then you bring in the tools. Performance Gets Easier. Character Gets Harder to Fake: As AI makes performance data more objective and accessible, Peter's view is that it puts an even greater premium on what numbers can't capture ... Judgment under stress. Learning agility. How someone treats people when things are hard. Whether they keep raising the bar in ways that support others. His framing: it's not just the what, it's the how. Performance tells you if someone hit the number, but character tells you whether you want them leading your organization. The Insight: Peter's challenge to every CHRO: if AI is absorbing the base of what HR does, the function has to answer a harder question. What is the unique value it creates that can't be automated? His answer: picking winners, contributing to strategy, aligning talent and organizational systems, and leading upskilling. But underneath all of that is the same requirement. The judgment, the character, the EQ that makes a leader worth betting on don't develop on their own. They have to be built deliberately, measured against real outcomes, and scaled across the org before the crisis arrives. The CHROs building that infrastructure won't be asking for a seat at the table, they'll already be in the room when the acquisition question gets asked. Link to podcast in the comments.

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With performance reviews happening now, and economic uncertainty shaping year-end decisions, many workers are paying close attention to how their year-end bonus stacks up and other incentives if monetary rewards fall short. In a recent KUNS ARC Seattle interview, Robert Half technology jobs expert Megan Slabinski breaks down what these trends mean for employees and managers. "It's really important to highlight other ways you can incentivize and ultimately retain staff. Employees tell us flexibility is critical, remote day options, additional PTO, or windowed work schedules, especially during the holiday season when so much is on everyone's plate." She also encourages workers to stay aware of their company's overall performance to help them better understand, set realistic expectations, and confidently navigate bonus conversations with employers. #yearendbonus #RobertHalf #workplacetrends

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Most workforce strategy conversations still center on corporate roles. Meanwhile, nearly 80% of workers are on the frontline. That’s where scheduling, pay, skills, compliance, hiring, and engagement are all moving at once. When those pieces don’t connect, leaders end up reacting instead of planning. UKG is leaning into that complexity with an integrated approach built specifically for frontline-first organizations. Josh Bersin’s recent write-up dives deeper: https://ukg.inc/4aKeAqu #Frontline #WorkforceStrategy

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California employers often rely on HR practices that seem standard across the country, not realizing that what’s typical elsewhere can open the door to serious trouble here. Even well-established practices, like timecard rounding or generic handbook templates, can lead to penalties, wage claims, and compliance issues. Our latest blog breaks down why “industry standard” HR doesn’t work in California and how SinglePoint supports employers in building policies that actually meet state requirements. Read the post here: https://lnkd.in/gSK55qqv

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Moving AI from pilot to real production isn't a technology problem — it's a people problem. And it's the one I'm most excited to dig into next month. On May 27, I'm joining Workday Horizon at Boston Tech Week to speak on a panel with Carmel Galvin, Becky McCullough, Johann Harnoss and Adam Godson about what it actually takes to scale a workforce with agents and automation — without losing sight of the people at the center of the strategy. We will be talking about talent, compensation, cost structures, new workflows, and organizational design - everything you need to know to scale a hybrid workforce. If you're People or Tech leader in the Boston area, I'd love to see you there. #WDAYHorizon #BOSTechWeek #HubSpot #Klaviyo #Sequoia #BC

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Building or strengthening your CSR business case? Here is a helpful resource from Calli Hartman brought to you by Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals. #ROI, #YourCause from Blackbaud

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Something interesting is happening in the Bay Area workforce right now. The large tech layoffs have been well documented. What's less visible is the ripple effect. Many mid-size companies that support those ecosystems are quietly adjusting their own teams. Vendors. Agencies. Service providers. These companies rarely make headlines. But they employ thousands of people across the region. I suspect the real workforce story of 2026 will be told in the mid-market, not just the large enterprises. #BayAreaBusiness #WorkforceStrategy #CareerTransitions #Outplacement #PeopleStrategies #LHH

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Grateful for the very strong response to "Bots & Brains at Work: The Science of Leading in the Age of AI" at Central Oregon SHRM's event. My average "likely to recommend" score was 9.5/10. HR leaders are navigating real tension right now — excitement about AI’s potential alongside understandable anxiety about status, identity, and uncertainty. The conversation was thoughtful, practical, and refreshingly honest. Looking forward to continuing it with Washington State SHRM on March 26th! The pace of change isn’t slowing down. Leadership capacity has to accelerate. #Leadership #AI #HR #SHRM #WASHRM #FutureOfWork

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It's interesting to see SIA catching up on a topic that's been on the agenda among independent workforce management professionals for many months. This piece on bringing extended workforce management in-house highlights some "how-to" steps, but let's first talk about why this shift is occurring. The traditional MSP model isn't broken, but it's not evolving fast enough for today's reality. Companies are waking up to the fact that when you outsource your workforce strategy, you're also outsourcing control over brand alignment, culture integration, and ultimately, your competitive edge. There's also the thorny issue of conflicting interests – what makes your MSP profitable isn't always what's best for your business. The real question isn't whether to bring programmes in-house – it's whether you're ready to take ownership of what matters most to your business. #externalworkforce #workforcegovernance #workforcenews

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What happens when a new CEO doesn’t just step in to lead—but chooses to listen, deeply and intentionally? This past week, we facilitated a company-wide, one-on-one Employee Engagement Evaluation at the Los Angeles site of a company committed to building a stronger, more connected workplace culture under new leadership. But this wasn’t just a feedback-gathering exercise. We combined structured evaluation with coaching-based conversations—creating a space where people didn’t just share… They felt respected. They felt valued. They felt heard. The result? ✅ 93% participation across all levels of the organization ✅ A room full of real, human conversations ✅ And yes—most people walked out smiling. Because when people feel safe to speak, and know their voice truly matters, something shifts. Trust grows. Energy lifts. Change becomes possible. We’re honored to be part of that shift—and excited to continue with the Oakland and Austin teams in the weeks ahead. If your organization is in a moment of growth, transition, or simply ready to reconnect with its people—we’d love to help you listen in a way that makes a lasting impact. #EmployeeEngagement #OrganizationalHealth #Leadership #CoachingInBusiness #EmpathicListening #PeopleFirst #TrustedCulture #SusannaWong #ChangeLeadership #HumanCenteredDesign #VoiceMatters #LRS #LaborRelations

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If your organization is looking to launch or strengthen an Early Talent Program, thoughtful planning is key. This second post of Atrium’s Early Talent blog series is focused on four foundational steps to help guide your program planning, from setting goals and application design, to building timelines and allocating budgets. Give it a read if you’re thinking about how to structure or scale your internship or co-op program: https://bit.ly/3TTzNES

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