Happy at Work | The Future of AI, Employer Branding; People Strategy

Most companies launch employee advocacy by buying a shiny tool, running a single one-hour LinkedIn webinar, and expecting staff to mindlessly click and share corporate posts. Six to nine months later, active users drop off, executives start questioning the budget, and the company blames the software. Meanwhile, trying to fast-track employee content with AI only floods social feeds with generic noise. Today on Happy@Work, Tatiana Koval sits down with Sarah Goodall—founder of Tribal Impact and a 15-year pioneer in social business and employee influence — to unpack why traditional advocacy is coming full circle back to authentic human voices. Drawing on data from the Edelman Trust Barometer and Tribal Impact's Human Edge Report, Sarah explains why LLMs and job seekers ignore corporate brand pages in favor of original human expertise, why VPs and Directors have 4x the influence on employee participation compared to the C-suite, and how to tie employee influence directly to commercial and hiring pipelines before your budget gets cut.Connect with Sarah Goodall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgoodall/Timestamps:00:00 - Introducing employee advocacy and the human voice behind the brand02:50 — The workplace trust crisis and the widening executive-employee gap.05:30 — How LLMs cite human LinkedIn posts over brand pages (and the AI noise trap).09:00 — Why vanity metrics (clicks & EMV) put a ticking clock on your budget.12:30 — Connecting the silos: Aligning HR, Employer Branding, Marketing, and Sales pipelines.14:40 — Top mistakes: Why a 1-hour training and a software tool won't change behavior.19:00 — Case studies: Moving pharma and manufacturing experts from "click-share" to storytelling.21:55 — The Human Edge Report: Why VPs and Directors drive 4x more employee advocacy.24:10 — Why external advocacy starts with psychological safety on internal social networks.26:30 — Sarah's 3 core steps to launch and measure a scalable employee influence program.Subscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#EmployerBranding #EmployeeAdvocacy #EmployeeInfluence #TalentAcquisition #SocialSelling #WorkplaceCulture #HRLeadership #HappyAtWork

As organizations race to adopt AI, automate processes, and accelerate transformation, many leaders focus on technology while overlooking the most important system of all: the human system.In this episode of Happy@Work, Tatiana Koval speaks with Suzie Lewis, Managing Director of Transform for Value, executive coach, and host of the "Let's Talk Transformation" podcast. Suzie has spent more than 20 years helping organizations navigate complex transformation challenges through the lens of human systems design. Together, we explore why organizational change often fails, how leaders can create the conditions for people and systems to thrive, and why AI may be exposing—not solving—the underlying challenges within organizations. Suzie argues that the AI era is fundamentally a human systems design challenge and that sustainable transformation depends on trust, relationships, leadership behaviors, and the emotional infrastructure of organizations. Connect with Suzie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lewissuzie/Timecodes:00:00 - Meet Suzie Lewis and the human side of transformation01:10 - Human systems as the foundation for sustainable change03:16 - What makes an organizational culture adaptive06:19 - Building relationship infrastructure and psychological safety10:28 - Map, pilot, and iterate across cultural contexts13:32 - Emotional literacy: making room for difficult emotions19:56 - Leading emotional conversations across diverse teams24:40 - Reading silence as information, not automatically as a problem26:28 - Creating the conditions for people to adopt AI31:24 - Early warning signs of disconnection and misalignment36:45 - Preparing people for change through clear communication40:19 - Clarity, accountability, support, and care during transformation42:51 - Suzie’s 3 priorities for leadersSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture. #WorkplaceCulture #AI #AItransformation #Happiness #TalentAcquisition #AIinHR #HappyAtWork #AIagent #organizationalculture

Transformation into a senior leadership role is one of the highest-stakes moments in any executive's career. Today on Happy@Work, I am sitting down with Navid Nazemian—executive coach, speaker, and author specializing in executive transitions and leadership development.Navid breaks down his strategic playbook for helping leaders navigate complex organizational dynamics, build immediate trust, and drive high performance without sacrificing personal or team health. We dive into how executive alignment directly influences talent acquisition, workplace wellbeing, and overall employee retention across the entire business.Whether you are an aspiring leader stepping into your first executive role, an HR professional optimizing HR best practices for onboarding, or a CEO looking to sharpen your Leadership strategies, Navid’s executive insights offer an essential masterclass.Connect with Navid Nazemian:• LinkedIn:   / navidnazemian  Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction to the podcast and guest01:45 - Navid’s leadership research and the six qualities of extraordinary leadership03:09 - Confidence and self-awareness as the foundation of self-leadership04:06 - Being connected and inspiring as team leadership skills06:23 - Stephen Covey example: how presence creates inspiration08:20 - Courage and clarity as the final two leadership qualities09:21 - Confidence versus humility in an unpredictable world10:31 - Leading through the pandemic without pretending to have all the answers13:17 - Are leaders born or developed?14:51 - Research on 250 CEOs and the rise of strategic self-awareness16:19 - Bright side, dark side, and deep inside traits17:32 - Defining success through sustainable results18:48 - Tim Cook and long-term value creation at Apple21:31 - Can culture help sell the company and attract talent?23:31 - Vodafone’s engagement scores and culture as a magnet27:27 - When directive leadership is more effective than coaching29:26 - Titanic analogy: choosing the right leadership style in a crisis31:31 - Situational leadership and using all six styles when needed33:23 - The Double Diamond Framework and executive transitions34:51 - Why top leaders must optimize energy, not just time39:26 - Dr. BJ Fogg’s framework for behavior change41:52 - How to apply start doing, continue doing, and stop doing45:09 - Navid’s 3 top tips for leadersSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#WorkplaceCulture #WorkplaceMentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #Happiness #TalentAcquisition #Leadership #LeaderSkills #ExecutiveCoaching #HappyAtWork

In this episode of Happy at Work podcast, Tatiana Koval speaks with Nikos Foros about how to build employer branding with real data instead of intuition. They focus on what to measure, how to collect honest feedback, and how to turn insights into practical actions that improve both candidate attraction and employee retention. Nikos shares a structured way to think about employer brand through listening, analyzing, acting, and measuring, plus how culture and country context shape the kind of feedback you can get.Nikos Foros works in talent intelligence at Kalliera.gr, the largest job board in Greece, where he focuses on employer branding, candidate perception, and data-led solutions for organizations. His background spans training, events, and employer branding across major Greek organizations. Perfect for HR leaders, employer brand managers, recruiters, and anyone trying to build a people strategy that actually reflects what employees and candidates think. Connect with Nikos: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikoforo/ Timecodes:00:00 Intro01:49 Nikos Foros introduces his background in talent intelligence and employer branding03:44 Why data is the foundation of employer branding strategy05:46 Strategic data sources for EVP and employer brand decisions06:15 Why pulse surveys, exit interviews, and stay interviews all matter07:39 Connecting people data to business goals and organizational growth09:44 External EVP perception and feedback from candidates and former employees10:13 Why exit conversations should be one-to-one, not just surveys11:41 When focus groups are better than individual exit interviews12:37 The question that matters most: would they come back?13:55 Why employee experience is becoming central to people and culture teams14:20 The LAM framework: Listening, Analyzing, Acting, Measuring16:05 Turning survey insights into visible action and co-created solutions17:40 How culture affects feedback quality across countries and organizations19:22 Adapting the feedback method to fit cultural openness and trust20:52 Using workshops, retreats, and experiential formats to surface honest insights23:52 Regular indicators to track: social media, candidate feedback, and review sites26:15 How repeated themes like burnout, flexibility, recognition, or growth reveal what to fix or amplify27:40 A real example of data changing assumptions about what employees value most29:17 When employer branding research challenged leadership’s self-image31:28 Shifting the brand from “career catalyst” to a stronger culture narrative33:03 Three tips for implementing a data-driven employer brand strategySubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#EmployerBranding #TalentIntelligence #EmployeeExperience #WorkplaceCulture #HappyAtWork

Hierarchy kills transformation when leaders forget the people doing the work. If your company is pushing through constant change, this conversation is for you. Tatiana Koval, host of Happy at Work, sits down with Mark Green, founder and CEO of Change Rebellion, to unpack why so many transformations fail before they even begin - and what leaders must ask before launching the next big initiative. Tatiana and Mark explore one of the biggest tensions in modern transformation: should organizations plan everything in detail, or start fast and adapt? Mark’s answer is refreshingly practical - it depends on the goal, the context, and whether the approach actually fits the people involved. Essential listening for leaders, HR professionals, change managers, and anyone trying to guide a team through uncertainty without losing trust, energy, or momentum. Mark Green is the founder and CEO of Change Rebellion, a change management service and consultancy. With nearly 30 years in change management, he is known for a practical, people-first approach that challenges traditional thinking about transformation. Connect with Mark: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-green-3368744/ Timecodes: 00:00 - Intro01:02 - Mark Green’s background in change management and Change Rebellion02:04 - Why leaders must ask whether a transformation is truly needed03:27 - Using common sense to test whether change adds value06:24 - Why the human side of change must come first07:11 - Supporting both employees and leaders through transformation08:36 - Using the threat-reward scale to understand people’s reactions10:26 - How change can create inspiration, not just fear11:08 - Creating energy, openness, and psychological safety in workshops13:04 - Why comfortable environments get better participation14:08 - Leading transformation when time is short and pressure is high15:07 - Openness and transparency during urgent change17:05 - Preparing leaders for tough decisions and difficult conversations17:34 - Why leaders benefit from working with change professionals20:32 - Waterfall versus agile and why no single method fits every case22:08 - Why destination matters more than blindly following a method23:54 - Changing behavior over time through positive reinforcement25:52 - Celebrating small wins and keeping momentum alive26:30 - What employees should do in a constantly changing workplace27:09 - Why people should get involved if they want to shape change29:31 - Mark’s 3 leadership tips for transformationSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture. #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #OrganizationalChange #PeopleFirst #WorkplaceCulture

How to build effective internal communications across generations, cultures, roles, and work styles — without losing their voice or overwhelming employees?In this episode of Happy At Work, host Tatiana Koval speaks with Regine Nelson, an internal communications and employee engagement consultant, about making workplace communication more relevant and people-centered. Regine shares practical ways to understand your audience, tailor the delivery of messages, and maintain a consistent organizational tone.They also explore how tools such as Enneagram, DISC, and Myers-Briggs can help teams understand communication preferences and encourage participation. And as AI becomes more common in communications, Regine explains how to use it as a support tool while keeping human judgment, context, and authenticity at the center.Regine’s advice for leaders and communicators: stay curious about your audience, your business, and your profession.Connect with Regine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginenelson/Timecodes: 00:00 — Intro01:29 — Regine Nelson’s background in internal communications03:21 — Why one-size-fits-all communication no longer works05:47 — Learning from audience segmentation in external marketing09:12 — Personalizing messages while keeping a consistent brand voice11:43 — Managing communication with small teams and limited resources13:06 — Setting communication goals: what people should know, feel, and do16:35 — Segmenting communication in large international organizations18:26 — Using personality assessments to understand employee groups20:20 — AI’s potential for personalizing communication at scale21:37 — Helping people build the mindset and skills to act on change23:40 — Applying Enneagram insights to communication planning25:56 — Using group dynamics to encourage participation and build EQ27:41 — Keeping a human touch when using AI31:46 — 3tips for leaders: stay curious about people, business, and the professionSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#InternalCommunications #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCommunication #CommunicationStrategy #PeopleCenteredLeadership #OrganizationalCulture #Leadership #AIandCommunication #HappyAtWork

Employer branding is no longer just recruitment marketing - it is the difference between attracting people who fit and losing them after the first few months. Jess Matthewman, employer brand, people engagement, and culture transformation specialist with a marketing background, reveals how to build an employer brand that is authentic, holistic, and actually helps people want to stay.Why the old “best place to work” playbook is no longer enough? Jess shares practical advice on aligning employer brand with corporate brand, avoiding copy-paste EVP language, and using data from engagement surveys, website behavior, and alumni feedback to prove what is actually working.This episode is especially useful for HR leaders, employer brand practitioners, recruiters, people and culture teams, and marketers who want to move beyond surface-level employer branding and create something people genuinely believe in. If you want a stronger reputation, better-fit candidates, and a workplace experience that people talk about for the right reasons, this is essential listening.Timecodes:00:00 - Intro02:34 - What employer branding really means beyond recruitment03:35 - From selling jobs to shaping the full employee experience06:11 - Finding the right balance between attraction and reality07:37 - Why authentic employer branding starts with your real differentiators09:07 - The risk of saying “authentic” without doing the internal work10:34 - Do the groundwork first before creating content12:23 - What a holistic employer brand means across the employee lifecycle14:20 - Why employer brand must involve leadership, HR, and the wider business17:16 - Using offboarding data to improve experience and spot real issues18:40 - Alumni networks, boomerang employees, and keeping former employees connected19:36 - Handling layoffs with fairness, kindness, and support22:16 - How employee advocacy programs work best when they are authentic24:10 - Turning lived moments into shareable stories without forcing it25:39 - Rewarding ambassadors with skills and development, not just incentives26:55 - AI, employer brand content, and how LMM search behavior is changing discovery28:21 - Why human experience still matters more than automation29:17 - Setting guardrails for AI use, ethics, and organizational intent31:16 - Aligning corporate brand and employer brand without losing employee focus33:43 - How employer brand can also strengthen product and corporate reputation34:57 - Three tips for building an authentic, holistic employer brandSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#Employerbranding #recruitment #EVP #talentacquisition

What if better productivity, happier employees, and more satisfied customers were not a trade-off, but the same design problem? Thomas Bertels says most organizations still get work design wrong—and the hidden cost shows up in burnout, bureaucracy, and AI projects that speed up individual tasks but not the whole business.Tatiana Koval sits down with Thomas Bertels, a transformation expert, work design specialist, and host of the Work Matters podcast, to explore how leaders can redesign jobs and operating models. Hence, people actually want to do the work. Drawing on his experience with startups and Fortune 500 companies, as well as Hackman and Oldham's research, Thomas explains why meaningful work, autonomy, and feedback matter more than ever. If your team is dealing with too much bureaucracy, too many handoffs, or an AI rollout that feels more like task elimination than meaningful transformation, this conversation offers a practical way forward. Essential listening for HR leaders, middle managers, and executives who want work that performs better because it feels better to do.Connect with Thomas Bertels:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasbertels/• Substack: https://purposeworks.substack.com• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@WorkMatterspodcastTimecodes: 00:00 — Introduction: workplace design and the future of work01:18 — How AI can reshape jobs—for better or worse03:58 — The foundations of motivating work: meaning, autonomy, and feedback07:52 — How to assess the current state of work design10:39 — Why employee experience and efficiency are not a trade-off12:19 — Giving employees real influence over process improvement15:54 — Common work-design problems and practical ways to spot them20:08 — Rethinking workflows when adopting AI24:33 — Lessons from the Work Matters podcast27:28 — Building the right team to lead workplace redesign30:14 — What triggers organizations to redesign work31:53 — How to measure whether work-design changes are succeeding32:57 — Helping people embrace organizational change35:11 — Three key takeaways for leadersSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#WorkplaceCulture #WorkplaceMentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #Happiness #TalentAcquisition #JobDesign #FutureOfWork #Leadership #HappyAtWork

Why do organizational changes fail, and how can we design work that fuels us? In this episode, Ashley Jablow shares how intentional human-centric design elevates Workplace Mental Health, transforms Workplace culture, and boosts overall workplace well-being.We often blame employees or company culture when transitions fall flat. But the truth is much simpler: change doesn't fail—we design it poorly. Today on Happy@Work, I am sitting down with Ashley Jablow — founder of Wayfinders Collective and Life Design School, author, former Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House, and ex-IDEO leader. Ashley brings her deep background in innovation, creativity, and practical change to show leaders how to guide their teams through complex transitions with clarity, courage, and care. We dive into how designing clear career strategies drives Happiness, strengthens talent acquisition, and builds resilient, adaptive organizations. Whether you are an executive leading a major corporate transition, an HR strategist looking to elevate employee retention, or a professional redesigning your career, Ashley's actionable strategies will help you navigate what's next. Connect with Ashley Jablow:• Website: https://www.wayfinderscollective.com/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyjablow/Timecodes: 00:00 Welcome to Happy at Work00:31 Ashley’s path into design thinking02:25 Empathy as the foundation of people-centered design03:02 Bringing empathy into hiring, leadership, and organizational change04:49 The business impact: retention and employee advocacy07:06 Designing for diverse, global teams10:38 Questions leaders can ask to better understand their people14:11 Staying open when employee feedback challenges assumptions18:43 Common mistakes in workplace design thinking20:26 “Go slow to go fast” in leadership22:22 Leading as a whole person24:28 Closing thoughts and thank youSubscribe to Happy@Work for more episodes on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#WorkplaceMentalHealth #WorkplaceCulture #WorkplaceWellbeing #Happiness #TalentAcquisition #LeaderSkills #Leadership #EmployeeRetention #EmployeeEngagement #HappyAtWork

How do you move inclusion from a checkbox exercise to a core business strategy? In this episode, Gamiel Yafai shares how designing for equity transforms Workplace culture, elevates Workplace Mental Health, and drives overall employee Happiness.For too long, organizations have treated diversity and inclusion as ad-hoc initiatives rather than fundamental architecture. Today on Happy@Work, we are sitting down with Gamiel Yafai—author, award-winning diversity strategist, and founder of Diversity Inclusion.Gamiel breaks down his actionable blueprint for "Inclusion by Design." We explore how leaders can build sustainable, long-term impact by aligning leadership behaviors with hard metrics, embedding inclusive practices across the entire employee journey, and using an authentic culture to strengthen talent acquisition and workplace wellbeing.Whether you are an HR leader refining HR best practices, an executive driving talent attraction strategies, or a founder building an inclusive Workplace culture, Gamiel’s practical and strategic insights offer a masterclass in modern Leadership.Connect with Gamiel Yafai:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedingamielyafai/Timecodes:00:00 — intro01:16 — Meet Gamel: diversity and inclusion strategist03:31 — What diversity and inclusion means in business07:11 — Common misconceptions and implementation mistakes12:29 — The business case for inclusion17:01 — Inclusive leadership and overcoming bias21:59 — Challenges: measuring progress and establishing a baseline26:03 — Turning diversity into innovation and business growth32:24 — Three practical actions for leadersSubscribe to Happy@Work for more insights on modern leadership, organizational performance, and human-centric workplace culture.#WorkplaceCulture #WorkplaceMentalHealth #WorkplaceWellbeing #Happiness #TalentAcquisition #InclusionByDesign #DiversityAndInclusion #Leadership #HappyAtWork