The Gartner Talent Angle

Organizations today are grappling with how to manage the merging of peoples’ work and personal lives. With many organizational processes and structures not fully accounting for the human impact they have on their employees’ lives, organizations are now looking for a better approach to the way we work. Peter Aykens and Sari Wilde, two leaders of the Gartner HR practice, offer a new, human-centric, approach that they argue will foster creativity and engagement among employees, ultimately delivering the best results for their organization.   Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Peter is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth) and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.   Sari J Wilde oversees peer and practitioner research in the HR practice. She holds a bachelor's degree from Barnard College, Columbia University and a master’s degree in industrial and organizational psychology from New York University.   Caroline Walsh is a managing vice president in Gartner’s HR practice. Her teams help HR leaders build and execute talent, diversity, rewards, and learning strategies and programs. Caroline has also led Gartner research teams on commercial banking strategy and leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University.

The workforce is increasingly exploring learning opportunities outside of the four-year college degree, such as vocational training and apprenticeships. However, organizations struggle to adapt their talent processes to a workforce with changing demographics and preferences. Kathleen deLaski, author of “Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Don’t Matter,” joins the Talent Angle to discuss how organizations can keep pace with an evolving workforce. By creating alignment between recruiting, training and education, organizations can build talent pipelines that strengthen their workforce and grow the economy. Kathleen deLaski is an education and workforce designer, and futurist. She founded the Education Design Lab to help colleges reimagine higher education toward the future of work. Her nonprofit has helped 1,200 colleges, organizations and economic regions design new pathways for learners. She is a senior advisor to the Project on Workforce at Harvard University and teaches human-centered design and higher education reform as an adjunct professor in the Honors College at George Mason University. Previously, Kathleen worked as a journalist, including time as ABC News White House correspondent, and was a political appointment as the first female Pentagon spokesperson. Dion Love is a vice president of research and advisory services at Gartner. Dion is a labor market expert, focusing on global labor market trends and what they mean for organizations’ talent and business strategies, as well as broader social and economic issues. In his work at Gartner, Dion advises clients on key aspects of talent acquisition, including talent acquisition function planning and management, talent needs definition and internal recruiting, employment branding and recruitment marketing, and talent sourcing and selection. He has co-authored more than 12 strategic research studies at Gartner. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and industry publications, as well as Gartner HR Leaders Monthly and Smarter With Gartner.

Three key changes are impacting today’s labor market: a changing workforce composition, evolving attitudes toward work, and new tools and technologies to empower employees and candidates. HR leaders must understand the implications of these changes as they set talent strategies and build out capabilities for their organizations. Gad Levanon, chief economist of the Burning Glass Institute, joins the Talent Angle to discuss evolving dynamics in the labor market and offer practical recommendations to HR leaders. He explains how organizations must pull a variety of levers, from technology to rewards and learning programs, at the same time to gain an edge in the talent market.   Gad Levanon is chief economist of the Burning Glass Institute. Previously, Gad was with The Conference Board where he was founder of the Labor Market Institute and led the Help Wanted OnLine program. His research focuses on trends in U.S. and global labor markets, the U.S. economy, and their impact on employers. Before The Conference Board, he worked at the Bank of Israel​. He received his doctorate in economics from Princeton University, and he holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from Tel Aviv University.   Dion Love is a vice president of research and advisory services at Gartner. He’s a labor market expert, focusing on global labor market trends and what they mean for organizations’ talent and business strategies, as well as broader social and economic issues. In his work at Gartner, Dion advises clients on key aspects of talent acquisition, including talent acquisition function planning and management, talent needs definition and internal recruiting, employment branding and recruitment marketing, and talent sourcing and selection. He has co-authored more than 12 strategic research studies at Gartner. His work has been featured in the Harvard Business Review and industry publications, as well as Gartner HR Leaders Monthly and Smarter With Gartner.

The proliferation of remote and hybrid work has forced managers and HR leaders to rethink how they keep tabs on workforce productivity. Meanwhile, emerging technologies like generative AI have raised expectations for what future productivity can look like. While productivity has always been elusive to define and measure in the context of knowledge work, today’s environment has further challenged organizations to develop new strategies. Paulo Pisano, CHRO of Booking Holdings, joins the Gartner Talent Angle podcast to offer his perspective on HR’s role in boosting productivity. Touching on the linearity of work and the relationship between stress and performance, he shares actionable guidance for HR leaders looking to harness the full potential of their workforce. As Chief HR Officer for Booking Holdings, Paulo Pisano is leading the company’s efforts to develop an integrated long-term strategy in the people, organization and diversity, equity and inclusion spaces. Paulo and team are committed to fostering a workplace environment where every employee can do their best work. Paulo joined in 2020 as Chief People Officer for Booking.com and was previously Chief People Officer at Galp. In the last several years, he has been actively engaged in the fields of learning and education through board and advisory roles in organizations such as Singularity University, Teach For All and STiR Education. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Aykens is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth), and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

Communication is a critical skill for leaders and managers, who run into problems when their teams feel unsupported or unheard. Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection,” joins the Talent Angle Podcast to share his findings on communication. Charles identifies different archetypes of conversations and explains how to smoothly navigate them. By articulating the skills and behaviors that leaders must develop to become better communicators, Charles shows how communication can build trust and connection with their teams. Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of “The Power of Habit,” which spent over three years on bestseller lists and has been translated into 40 languages, “Supercommunicators,” also a bestseller published in 2024, and “Smarter Faster Better,” a third bestseller. Charles writes for The New Yorker magazine and is a graduate of Yale University and the Harvard Business School. He previously wrote for The New York Times, and is a frequent contributor to CNBC, This American Life, NPR and Frontline. He was also, for one terrifying day in 1999, a bike messenger in San Francisco. Jessie Knight is a vice president of research in the Gartner HR practice. She leads research teams to identify best practices and new opportunities to address HR executives’ most urgent challenges. Her areas of focus include employee experience, organizational culture, change management and the future of work.

The four-day work week has gained momentum in recent years, but has not yet entered the mainstream. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang, Global Programs Director at 4 Day Week Global, joins the Talent Angle to explain why organizations should consider experimenting with new ways of working. He highlights the importance of rest for human creativity and problem solving, and outlines how a shortened work week can unlock human potential to benefit both employers and employees. Alex Soojung-Kim Pang a leading voice in reduced hours working. He is the author of three books exploring how companies and individuals can better integrate rest, creativity, and focus into digital-age lives and work. Before joining 4 Day Week Global, Alex was a research director at the Institute for the Future and senior consultant at Strategic Business Insights, and lectured at Oxford University, Stanford University, and UC Berkeley. Alex received a Ph.D. in history and sociology of science from the University of Pennsylvania. Brent Cassell is a VP Advisory at Gartner, where he has worked for the past 18 years in both the HR and CIO Research Groups. His job is to help clients find the research they need, to help them understand that research, and to coach them through the implementation of those best practices in their own organizations. Currently, his research focuses on the future of work and total rewards. In 2022, Brent won Gartner's award for Outstanding Thought Leadership for his work on redesigning work for the hybrid world. He is also the contributing editor of HR Leaders Monthly and the co-host of the Talent Angle podcast.

Change agility — the ability to effectively manage and adapt to change — is a top leadership priority for organizations in 2025. As disruption becomes the norm, leaders must adapt and equip their teams to do the same. Red Hat CPO Jennifer Dudeck joins the Talent Angle Podcast to share her insights on how to lead through change and build a strong bench of future change-ready leaders. Jennifer Dudeck is Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Red Hat. In this role, she leads the team responsible for managing global human resources, administering payroll, and creating inspiring work environments supporting Red Hat’s award-winning culture. She has more than 25 years of human resources experience across all functions with a focus on helping the teams she led maximize alignment with, and impact on, the enterprise Jennifer is passionate about improving the experience of being a Red Hatter. Throughout her time at Red Hat, she has driven increased focus on manager excellence, performance and development, and career mobility. Jennifer is also a thought leader on the opportunities and challenges created by the convergence of AI and human resources. Jennifer has been a change leader across the enterprise, playing an active role in multiple major transformational initiatives in previous roles. Before joining Red Hat, Jennifer worked with Cisco Systems most recently as Vice President of the Transformation Office focused on enabling ongoing employee engagement, growth, and business impact. During her time with the company, she also held various leadership roles across the human resources function. Prior to that, Jennifer held several business-aligned human resources roles at Honeywell Corp.’s Aerospace and Performance Materials business units. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Aykens is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth), and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

Technology is advancing at a breakneck speed, presenting both new opportunities and challenges for organizations. Ismat Duckson Aziz, Kemper CHRO and Chief Administrative Officer, joins the Talent Angle to discuss how CHROs can shape the technology strategy of their organization. She explains how CHROs can overcome the anxiety that comes with diving into the rapidly changing environment of technology, and assert themselves as drivers of enterprise innovation. Ismat Duckson Aziz is the Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) and Chief Administrative Officer of Kemper. Ismat has more than 25 years of HR experience, most recently serving at U.S. Bank as Chief Advocacy Officer. Previous roles include CHRO for Sprint, CHRO for Sam’s Club, and senior HR roles at Sears Canada and MDS Pharma Services. Ismat earned a master’s of business administration from Ivey Business School at Western University in Canada and completed her undergraduate work at the University of Toronto. Ismat holds certifications in board governance and HR internationally. Jessica Knight is a vice president of research in the Gartner HR practice. She leads research teams to identify best practices and new opportunities to address HR executives’ most urgent challenges. Her areas of focus include employee experience, organizational culture, change management and the future of work.

Learning and development is a key lever for CHROs to deliver strategic impact, but it can be a challenge to keep pace with workforce needs. As technology innovation impacts both critical skills and learning delivery, CHROs must evaluate the effectiveness of their learning initiatives and foster an environment of learning. Bala Sathyanarayanan, CHRO at Greif, joins the Talent Angle Podcast to share insights on how HR can build a learning culture. He explains why continuous learning is a necessity in today’s world of work, and shares how HR can drive business strategy by tapping into employees’ desire to grow. Bala V. Sathyanarayanan serves as the executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Greif. Before Greif, Bala held global leadership roles at Xerox, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Coca-Cola and United Technologies. Bala earned a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Madras in Chennai, India. He also holds a master’s in human resources management from Rutgers University and graduated from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Aykens is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth), and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.

As the global workforce continues to age, it is increasingly vital for organizations to have both efficient succession plans and effective knowledge sharing between their employees. Julie Berko, Director of the Office of Human Resources at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), joins the Talent Angle to discuss how organizations can leverage data to enable knowledge sharing and simplify succession planning. She also explains how organizations can identify future skills needs and build strategies to develop them. Julie Berko boasts more than 30 years of human resources experience, honored with the 2022 Presidential Rank Award. A Hodgkin’s lymphoma survivor, she champions workplace flexibilities and employee well-being. Julie pioneered the FAA's Work/Life program and geriatric care management. At NIH, she instituted the Leave Bank program, Maxiflex, and telework expansion, meeting 100% employee needs. Her initiatives fostered diversity, inclusion, and swift response to COVID-19, enabling quick transition to maximum telework for 75% of the workforce. Julie served on the NIH Child Care Board, Health and Wellness Council, and co-chaired the 2023 Federal Human Capital Collaborative Forum. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from American University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Howard University. Peter Aykens is the chief of research for Gartner’s HR practice. Peter is responsible for building and leading research teams within the practice to address clients’ key initiatives. Before his current role, he spent over 25 years at Gartner leading research teams focused on banking and financial services strategy, producing numerous studies that addressed business strategy, channels, marketing, customer experience and product challenges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Olaf College, a master’s degree in international politics from Aberystwyth University (formerly known as the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth) and a master’s degree and a doctorate in political science from Brown University.