The Modern People Leader: Forward-Thinking HR 244 – Why IT Reports to HR & Learning the Language of AI: Kahina Ouerdane (Chief People Officer, Workleap)
Kahina Ouerdane, Chief People Officer at Workleap, joined us on The Modern People Leader.
We talked about her journey from international human rights law to tech, how software is the new workplace, why AI is forcing a rethinking of learning and org design, and more.
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(05:43) Kahina’s Origin Story: From Human Rights Lawyer to People Leader
(07:56) Discovering Her “Why” and the Power of Collective Harmony
(11:11) Intro to Workleap: Origins of Gsoft
(12:34) Workleap's Growth and Mission to Make Work Simpler
(14:54) Overview of the Workleap Product Suite
(16:21) Officevibe, Pingboard, Barley, and the Future of the Platform
(18:34) The “Foggy Road” of AI
(19:22) AI is a New Language: Learning Amidst Uncertainty
(21:38) Why IT Now Reports to HR at Workleap
(24:34) IT and Onboarding: Lessons from M&A and Employee Experience
(26:46) Why HR May Be Better Suited Than IT to Lead Change
(28:33) How IT and HR Are Co-Learning AI Together
(29:52) Rethinking What Learning Means in an AI-Powered World
(31:32) The “Third-Life Crisis” of the Knowledge Worker
(34:02) Why Nobody’s Talking Enough About Re-skilling
(36:17) Vibe Coding and L&D Reimagined with AI
(37:26) The Accidental On-Ramp to Using Workleap AI
(39:22) Weekly Rituals and Cross-Functional Learning Moments
(41:40) The Limits of Our Imagination in Predicting the Future of Work
(43:13) How Workleap Dogfoods Its Own AI Tools
(44:50) Data as the Engine: The Power of Connected People Analytics
(47:25) Future Vision: Org Charts with Real-Time Engagement & Performance Insights
(48:48) Innovation From the Ground Up: HR Leading a Company-Wide Sprint
(51:35) Why Canada Might Be Leading the Way in Future of Work Innovation
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