HR Works Podcast: How Portillo’s Is Turning Employees Into Its Best Brand Storytellers

Forget chasing the latest software—the biggest challenge in the AI era is the human equation. Carlee Wolfe, Associate Vice President of Leader Development and Organizational Effectiveness at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, is tackling this head-on. She sees the future of talent management not in code alone, but in a powerful partnership between technology and organizational values. After her SPARK Talent session, HR Daily Advisor had the chance to talk to Wolfe about our most burning questions and discussing what HR professionals need to know right now if they're going to get ahead in the workforce. Check out the full conversation below!

SPARK Talent saw some of the greatest minds in HR speak on the most pressing topics in the workforce. They didn’t just talk theory; they handed us a playbook for the AI and outlier era: First, know exactly what work needs to change. Second, know who can lead the change. Third, design the experience that attracts them. Bertrand Dussert, VP of Talent Acquisition at Staples, detailed in his session exactly who HR needs to fill and drive these roles being transformed by technology: Talent Outliers. These are the people who don’t just work within the system; they change and reframe it. After his presentation, HR Daily Advisor had the chance to sit down with Dussert and pick his brain on all things AI and talent acquisition, where he gave us a behind-the-scenes look at what he considers is the most important changes HR leaders need to be aware of. If you want to stay ahead in the HR world, listen to our full conversation below!

Over the summer, the Senate and House passed President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, enacting sweeping changes across all facets of the country, including substantial increases in funding for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, changes to AI policy, and many other facets that have cause anxieties among both employees and employers to skyrocket. Today, we’re joined by Amanda Czepiel (SEE-pea-ill), HR legal expert at Brightmine, to discuss the three critical areas HR leaders can’t afford to overlook regarding the passing of President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

HR Works Podcast: What Starbucks’ RTO Policy Means for HR Everywhere: Here’s What CMP Research Says Pt. 2 by HR Daily Advisor

In a world still debating the future of work, Starbucks is making a bold, definitive statement. By offering a cash exit package to corporate employees unwilling to return to the office, CEO Brian Niccol is sending a clear signal: this isn't just about office policy, it's about reshaping the company's culture. For today's episode, we're sitting down with Nicole Kyle, Managing Director of CMP Research, to unpack this move and its broader implications. Kyle shares why this unprecedented step is an indicator of a hardline approach to cultural alignment, what it means for other employers considering similar strategies, and how HR leaders can make in-office time truly meaningful—not just a mandate. Check out part one of our talk below!

How can you do it all at once? It’s a question that rings in the mind of many HR professionals, saddled with goal after goal, and for good reason. The workload of HR professionals is mighty, and the deliverables are grand. Upholding a business model, supporting your people strategy, keeping up with everchanging legal issues, all while attempting to plan for the future of work—it feels like carrying an entire tray of freshly shaken bottles of Coca-Cola, waiting to explode. But what if you could work towards these goals all at once, one sip at a time? Sue Lam, VP of People Insights, Strategy, and Culture at The Coca-Cola Company and HCI Advisory Board Member, suggests to the HR world that a proper people strategy can work to help every part of the business, not just the people. Lam is set to speak at the SPARK Talent 2025 conference in San Antonio, Texas in October, where she’ll discuss how to not only align but embed your people strategy into your business strategy, and the tips and tricks on how to get there. On today's episode, HR Daily Advisor got to sit down with Lam to get an early look at her insights, and how she’s innovating just what HR can do.

In a world where consumers crave authenticity and employees demand purpose, how can HR leaders bridge the gap between internal culture and external brand? In this episode, we talk with Jill Waite, Chief People Officer of Portillo’s, about their groundbreaking Internal Influencer Program. This isn’t your average employee-generated content initiative. By empowering 15 team members to become brand storytellers, Portillo’s is fueling its marketing, social media, and internal training with authentic, behind-the-scenes content. Waite shares a new blueprint for building your brand from the inside out. You’ll learn how this program drives employee engagement, provides a cost-effective content strategy, and offers a fresh model for internal brand-building that can transform your organization’s culture and credibility.

On this special episode of HR Works, HR Daily Advisor editor Griffin Cobb sat down with Peter Lynch, Chief People Officer at Cardinal Group Companies and speaker at SPARK Talent, to discuss the "Human Advantage" and how AI is helping the workplace be more human, not less.

In today’s fast-changing workplaces, AI isn’t just a tech trend; it’s reshaping how we work, from the top floor to the front lines. But for this big shift to truly succeed, your managers are the secret ingredient. In this episode, we sit down with Julie Bedard, Managing Director & Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Bedard is a leading voice in workplace transformation, and she’s here to share why it’s crucial for HR teams to equip middle and frontline managers with the skills to use AI.

In the final part of our three-episode series, Kyla Hanaway-Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer and Head of People at Feast & Fettle, highlights how ongoing training and reinforcement ensures empathy and emotional intelligence remain sharp skills for her entire team, and provides actionable steps HR leaders can take this week to begin embedding more empathy and emotional intelligence into their own daily operations.