The Edge of Work

In this month’s “Work in Progress” segment, Al Dea is joined by Steve Hunt and Phil Kirschner to unpack three timely topics related to the intersection of talent and the workplace: Moderna’s decision to merge HR and IT, an experiment AI + teamwork experiment from P&G, and whether AI is wiping out the first rung of the career ladder. Together, they explore the implications of AI on job design, team dynamics, early career talent, and the future of work,and what leaders can do to prepare.Links:Steve’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steventhunt/Steve’s Book: https://talenttectonics.com/Phil’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philkirschner/Phil’s Newsletter: https://www.flexos.work/the-worklineArticles MentionedModerna: IT and HR: https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-moderna-merged-its-tech-and-hr-departments-95318c2a?st=YTw4p4&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalinkP&G and Teams: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5188231 Aneesh Raman NY Times Op Ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/opinion/linkedin-ai-entry-level-jobs.html 

Ruth Hickin is the Vice President of Workforce Innovation at Salesforce. In this episode, Ruth unpacks her team's efforts around digital labor, and shares how her team is preparing Salesforce’s workforce for the age of AI by investing in internal talent through skilling, career mobility, and human-centered design. During our conversation, Ruth provides the philosophy behind Career Connect, an AI-powered internal talent marketplace, and how it’s enabling employees to explore personalized career paths, skill development, and internal opportunities.Finally, Ruth also shares Salesforce’s approach to job redesign, skill-based management, and the rise of agent collaboration in day-to-day roles.LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-hickin/Article: https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2025/03/28/hr-leaders-prioritize-l-and-dArticle: https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2024/09/04/salesforce-ai-internal-talent-platform 

In this episode, The Edge of Work Podcast host Al Dea provides an informal recap of his time at ATD ICE ‘25 in Washington D.C. During this episode, Al covers the basics of ATD ICE, some of the programming and content themes, highlights from the expo floor and vendors, and some of his reflections from the conversations he had with talent and learning leaders.LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsaldea/Website: https://www.al-dea.com/Career Experimentation: https://alsnewsletter.substack.com/p/how-to-help-your-employees-experiment Developing Talent: https://theedgeofwork.com/how-to-turn-leaders-into-developers-of-talent/ATD ICE: https://atdconference.td.org/Uplimit: https://uplimit.com/Tenor: https://tenorhq.com/

Kweilin Ellingrud is a Director of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) and leads Diversity and Inclusion for McKinsey globally. She is also a senior partner at McKinsey and co-author of The Broken Rung: When the Career Ladder Breaks for Women--and How They Can Succeed in Spite of It, a  book on the challenges women face in career advancement.In this episode, Kweilin joins the podcast to discuss the concept of the "broken rung" or the first step up to manager that many women are disproportionately denied, and how this early gap significantly impacts long-term career progression. Together, they explore the importance of experience capital, the impact of bold career decisions, and the role of leaders and HR in fostering equitable growth.Kweilin also shares practical insights on strategic networking and recognizing workplace biases, offering listeners tangible strategies to support and advance women in the workplace.LinksLinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kweilinmellingrud/ Book: https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-on-books/the-broken-rung 

Carole Bennett is the Vice President of Talent Management and Development at Sutter Health. In this episode, Carole shares her journey in leading large-scale talent strategy across a major healthcare system. She unpacks how Sutter Health is investing in internal mobility, leadership development, and workforce planning to meet both immediate and long-term needs. Carole also discusses the importance of tying talent strategies to broader business goals, building trust with leaders, the concept of building a "Career Home" and creating career paths that empower employees.LinksLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-bennett-phd/

Eric Wong is an Organizational Effectiveness Leader at Adobe, where he oversees executive coaching, leads org development efforts, and facilitates leadership development programs. During this conversation Eric shares lessons from his journey across the leadership development industry, including startups, consulting, and corporate leadership, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Adobe has built and scaled its coaching strategy. Eric also shares his perspective on where coaching has been, how it’s evolving, and what companies (and coaches) need to do to stay relevant and impactful. From manager accountability to the role of artificial intelligence  in coaching, Eric provides  insights on driving business results through leadership development, as well as his perspective on how to stay relevant in the coaching industry. 

Samantha Simmons is the Chief People & Internal Operations Officer for the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). In this episode, Sam shares how the LPGA is navigating growth, performance, and culture in a rapidly changing world of sports and work. During this conversation, Samantha shared the people org’s strategic priorities and why their team is scaling impact, how the LPGA is investing in manager development and wellness, and why embracing collaboration is key to high-performing teams. Sam also reflects on the evolving employer-employee relationship, the role of autonomy, and the challenges of leading in a mission-driven, global organization.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ssimmonsgpc/

Jim Rowan is a Principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and the Head of the Artificial Intelligence Practice, where he leads the firm’s AI strategy across client services, alliances, innovation, and internal transformation. During this conversation, Jim shares his thoughts on the current and future state of Artificial Intelligence in the enterprise. He shares insights from Deloitte’s State of Generative AI report, including where organizations are seeing real ROI, why AI agents are generating so much interest, and what leaders should consider as they adopt these emerging technologies. Finally, Jim also reflects on the role of talent in the age of AI, how enterprises can build responsible strategies, the importance of using this time to scenario plan for the future and why the future of work will likely involve teams of humans and agents collaborating side by side.LinksState of Gen AI Report: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/consulting/articles/state-of-generative-ai-in-enterprise.html Jim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-rowan1/Carnegie Mellon Study: The Impact of Gen AI on Critical thinking https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/uploads/prod/2025/01/lee_2025_ai_critical_thinking_survey.pdf

Ty Beasley is the Chief Talent Officer at RSM, a leading professional services firm. During this conversation, Al and Ty spend time exploring the evolving world of talent management in professional services. Ty shares stories from his early career and offers insights into RSM’s approach to talent strategy—covering internal mobility, performance growth, and the role of skills in employee development. They also dive into the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry today, including how AI is transforming talent management and enhancing the employee experience.LinksLinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ty-w-beasley/

Kelly Jones is the Chief People Officer at Cisco, where she is shaping the future of work and redefining HR in the age of AI. In this episode, Kelly shares insights from her recent blog post on the four transformative trends shaping HR in 2025, including hyper-personalized employee experiences, continuous learning, soft skills as power skills, and well-being as a business imperative. During this conversation, Kelly discusses the evolving role of HR leaders in driving AI adoption, fostering resilient workforces, and redefining leadership in a hybrid world of humans and AI. Finally, Kelly also offers practical advice for HR professionals on how to bring leaders along in change efforts and ensure people remain at the center of transformation.Linkshttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kellykjones/https://blogs.cisco.com/news/four-transformative-trends-shaping-hr-in-2025