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Up Next @ Work: Daily Summaries Delivered
by WRKdefined
When every day feels like a new adventure, Up Next @ Work delivers the insight and intelligence you need to succeed. Join HR influencers, Jeanne Achille and Katie Achille of The Devon Group, who believe better communications are vital for making sense of what’s happening around you. Listen in as Jeanne and Katie chat with the thought leaders, practitioners, and providers sitting at the intersection of people, processes, and technology to discover what’s Up Next @ Work.
Latest Episodes
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- 5 days ago30 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 40 with Heather Bussing, Employment Attorney, Writer & Analyst
In this powerful episode of Up Next @ Work, Jeanne Achille sits down with employment lawyer, writer, and HR thought leader Heather Bussing for an unusually personal conversation about recovery, resilience, and the workplace. Marking National Recovery Month, Heather reflects on 31 years of sobriety, sharing her deeply candid story of addiction, from early experiences of abandonment and grief to self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, navigating the pressures of a demanding legal career, and ultimately, finding a path toward recovery. Heather and Jeanne also explore the workplace's role in recognizing addiction and recovery and offering people the support they need. Key Highlights: How and why addiction can become a form of self-medication when people lack the tools to cope with difficult emotions A remarkable story of an employer who recognized Heather needed help and gave her an opportunity to seek treatment The difference between knowing about recovery and actually doing the work A reminder that emotions, like the weather, are temporary and tomorrow can bring something completely different For more information about Heather and her work, follow her on LinkedIn and subscribe to her Substack.
- 1 weeks ago33 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 39 with Eric Knauf, Founder and CEO at BelongHQ
What does it take to build a workplace where people - and the business - can actually thrive through transformation? In this episode of Up Next @ Work, Kate Achille joins Eric Knauf, author of The 56% Solution and founder of BelongHQ, to consider why human infrastructure might be the missing link in successful organizational change. Eric explains how the experience sparked his initial research and led him to identify (and quantify!) the five pillars of belonging. Kate and Eric's conversation also examines why these factors matter to the C-Suite, how they can help organizations assess their transformational readiness, and why companies rushing into AI may be skipping a critical first step: ensuring their people and managers are prepared for change. Key Highlights: The 56% connection: The science behind belonging and its relationship to business outcomes, including retention, innovation, and employee wellbeing. The CFO's perspective: Why human infrastructure can be viewed as a form of human capital investment - and even compared to CapEx. From reactive to generative: Eric explains his maturity model and what it takes to create teams capable of sustaining healthy workplace conditions on their own. Follow Eric on LinkedIn, learn more at BelongHQ.com, or pick up a copy of The 56% Solution: How Belonging Infrastructure Transforms Performance.
- 2 weeks ago33 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 38 with Chris Harvey, Chief Research Officer at HR Technology Advice
On this episode of Up Next at Work, Kate Achille sits down with Chris Harvey, Chief Research Officer at HR Technology Advice, to unpack the changing HR tech landscape, the often-overlooked factors that determine technology success, and what founders can learn from the unconventional business strategies of pirates. The conversation explores the HR tech trends shaping 2026, including the growing importance of EOR solutions for global hiring and the challenges mid-market organizations face when evaluating HCM suites. Chris also reveals the story behind his book, Blackbeard’s Laws for Founders, and how the pirate offers surprisingly relevant lessons for today’s tech founders, from defining ICP to knowing when to walk away from a deal. Key highlights: Why feature functionality alone isn't enough when selecting HR technology The danger of choosing a technology vendor that's too complex (or not complex enough) for your organization Why founders shouldn't pursue “anyone who will buy from us” as their customer strategy To learn more about Chris' work, visit the HR Technology Advice website and connect with him on LinkedIn.
- 3 weeks ago39 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 37 with Chris Havrilla, Chief Advisor & Analyst at AI Alchemists
In this episode of Up Next at Work, Katie Achille sits down with Chris Havrilla, Chief Advisor & Analyst at AI Alchemists, to explore what organizations need to rethink as AI becomes increasingly embedded in workforce decisions. With experience across the enterprise buyer, technology vendor, and analyst worlds, Chris explains why traditional governance models are no longer enough – and why companies need to start architecting consequences rather than inheriting them. Their conversation considers “systems of consequence,” the widening gap between AI adoption and accountability, and what happens when decisions are made at machine speed and scale. Chris shares guidance for organizations building “consequence architecture,” including how to map decisions, assess severity, establish ownership, and audit for the outcomes that actually matter. Key highlights: Why governance has lagged behind adoption The problem with "human in the loop" thinking The real cost of AI, especially with the kill switch as a strategy To learn more about Chris' work, visit AI Alchemists, follow her Substack, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
- Aug 14, 202633 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 36 with Pete A. Tiliakos of Payroll Influences
In this episode of Up Next @ Work, Kate Achille returns to talk to industry analyst Pete A. Tiliakos about why payroll is so often misunderstood, undervalued, and left out of strategic conversations - and what Pete is doing to try to shift that narrative. Pete shares how his career journey, from auditing payroll data in the U.S. Marine Corps to leading HR transformations at major organizations, shaped his mission to elevate the profession. The conversation also dives into the 2026 Payroll Profession Confidence Index (PPCI), an open-source research initiative designed to give payroll professionals a collective voice. Key highlights include: Why payroll data can be an organization's most valuable source of business insight The case for bringing payroll closer to comp and benefits to create a more holistic pay experience What the PPCI is measuring and why it matters To learn more about Pete's work, visit payrollinfluences.com, connect with him on LinkedIn, listen to his podcast HR & Payroll 2.0, and take 10 minutes to complete the 2026 Payroll Profession Confidence Index.
- Aug 6, 202627 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 35 with Jay Polaki, CEO of HR Geckos
What happens when organizations rush to adopt AI before fixing the processes underneath? Jeanne Achille is joined by Jay Polaki, CEO and Chief Gecko at HR Geckos, to talk about why the real risk begins there. In this episode, Jeanne and Jay discuss why successful AI adoption starts with clarity, rather than tools. Drawing on more than 25 years of HR leadership experience, Jay explains why organizations need to rethink workflows, governance, and human decision-making before expecting AI to deliver transformational results. Episode highlights include: How to determine which HR tasks should be automated and which require human judgment Why governance and AI policies are essential before scaling adoption Why workflow-first thinking leads to better AI outcomes than simply buying new tech The story behind the name HR Geckos and why adaptability is HR's greatest strength Listen in to learn more about Jay Polaki and HR Geckos, and be sure to follow Jay on LinkedIn for her thoughts on AI, HR ops, and more.
- Jul 27, 202629 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 34 with Lance Haun, Founder of Beacon Turn
You might not realize that you’ve been a follower of Lance Haun for years. Founder of Beacon Turn, he’s a researcher, writer, and advisor to B2B companies focused on work tech and leadership. A featured contributor to Reworked, he’s considered one of the leading market insights pundits in how work gets done. Jeanne persuaded Lance to join her on the latest episode of Up Next @ Work to discuss the industry, life as a girl dad, and what’s next on his horizon. According to Lance, good work starts with the right question, not the perfect answer. Our perfect podcast is presented here for your listening pleasure. We unpack Lance’s career path, which includes his stint as an HR leader The life-changing impact of being able to offer someone a job Of course, we discuss AI and whether the world of work is truly ready for it Connect with Lance on LinkedIn and subscribe to his Substack.
- Jul 15, 202629 min
Up Next @ Work, Episode 33 with Elaine Orler, Chief Strategy and Product Officer, Match2
Elaine Orler has been designing and implementing global Talent Acquisition and Recruiting solutions as a practitioner and a consultant for more than 25 years. Her hands-on approach has enabled multi-national organizations to transform and optimize complex recruiting strategies and processes through contemporary technology-driven talent acquisition practices. In this episode of Up Next @ Work, Jeanne Achille and Elaine discuss the evolution of talent acquisition technology and how those products come to life. As one of the founders of Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards – as well as an entrepreneur and founder of Talent Function – Elaine has more street cred in the recruiting space than others aspire to. Listen in as they discuss: The success (and timing) of the CandEs and why they were embraced by top-tier employers. The role of AI and the guardrails needed to protect corporate data. The importance of ascertaining both soft skills and hard skills, and how parallel soft skills can result in a candidate match. Raising a young family while starting a business with a major shoutout to her supportive spouse. Connect with Elaine on LinkedIn to follow along with the Match2 journey.
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About Up Next @ Work
When every day feels like a new adventure, Up Next @ Work delivers the insight and intelligence you need to succeed. Join HR influencers, Jeanne Achille and Katie Achille of The Devon Group, who believe better communications are vital for making sense of what’s happening around you. Listen in as Jeanne and Katie chat with the thought leaders, practitioners, and providers sitting at the intersection of people, processes, and technology to discover what’s Up Next @ Work.
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