Special Series: The Future of HR - Beyond Tech (Part 1)

Speaker A: Foreign.

Speaker B: Welcome to HR Fresh Take, brought to you by Philly shrm. Stay fresh with the latest trends affecting the Philadelphia region. I am your host, Dr. Joe Vasquez. Human resources is no longer just a support function. It is a strategic driver of organizational success. Today's HR leaders are expected to deliver results that balance people performance and and broader business outcomes. In this special multi part series, The Future of HR Beyond Tech, recorded live at the 2026 Philly SHRM Symposium, we'll explore what it really means to practice modern HR in a workplace that's evolving faster than ever. Looking beyond AI and technology, the series offers a candid discussion of how HR professionals can expand their influence, lead with both strategy and humanity, and keep people at the center of every decision. First up, we'll talk with Corey Kripella, founder of Core Coaching and Consulting and Melissa Sherry, co founder of Threadlight. We'll discuss people centered leadership, thoughtful technology adoption, authenticity and the evolving role of HR as a bridge between employees and business strategy. Let's listen.

Speaker C: Welcome listeners. This is HR Fresh Take and I'm coming to you from the Phyllis Shurm Symposium. And we're going to be talking about modern HR and we have amazing guests with us and they're going to introduce yourselves. So Corey, can you start?

Speaker D: Sure. Hi everybody. Thank you for having me today. My name is Corey Kroppella. I am the owner and principal consultant of Core Coaching and Consulting.

Speaker C: All right. And um, Melissa.

Speaker A: Hi, I'm Melissa Sherry. I am the owner and also principal consultant of Workswell Consulting.

Speaker C: All right, well, I thank you for joining us today.

Speaker B: We're seeing in the HR space that

Speaker C: things are moving at an epic rate. And for us where we're seeing that affect hr, we have to think about what is it that we can do either as individual practitioners or as teams in organizations on how to modernize. So what would be in terms of your take on what an uh, hr, ah, department or an individual needs to do to be a more modern hr?

Speaker A: I really see this moment to pause. I think we're all on this train that's moving really fast and we wanna move really fast with it. And the best outcomes I'm seeing right now are uh, when we're stopping and we're asking better questions and we're pushing back. HR historically is the one kind of carrying the burden of what executive leadership wants, of what the surveys data is saying. We're stuck in that messy middle. And so when we get to slow down and we get to really ask questions of why are we doing this, how does it fit with the plan? How does it serve us? How does it bring value that's going to set us up for more success in the long term, especially when we're talking about technology. I'm seeing lots of my clients kind of throwing spaghetti at the wall, trying to figure out what's going to work and not asking those questions at the beginning to say, how does it fit?

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker D: Yeah, I'll piggyback off that. I think it's, it's taking a step back actually to take a leap forward. I think right now we're all obsessed with things like productivity and speed and dashboards and AI. Right. And everything's moving really fast and it's slowing down. And remember our function if none others are all about the people. Right. And making sure we keep that at the core, for lack of a better term, and not get too caught up in the, the tools, the pace, and make sure we're slowing down and doing what's right for our people and really advocating for the people that we support.

Speaker C: I definitely agree. Sometimes we forget about the human behind the human resources. It's one of the reasons why it's Philly Sherman's platform for the next couple of years. I think that how does HR kind of help employees think about technology? We know we have CEOs, CFOs who look at really like these tools and get really excited about that. But how can HR kind of say, well, how this is work for our organization?

Speaker D: Sure. Uh, uh, there's a million tools out there, right. And every day there's new ones coming online. So I think it's a matter of one not just going for the shiny object. Oh, they're doing that. We got to do that. Does it fit? Does it make sense for our brand, for the way we go to market, or are we just trying to adopt that to say we use that AI or that platform? But I do think one of the things I see a lot with clients is there's a lot of fear, fear around the tools. Right. And how do we implement them into our current system of tools? How do we protect data integrity? How do we protect privacy of individuals? And it's holding some of them back, candidly. Right. Because by the time they figure that out, 10 more tools are out, the people who weren't afraid are barreling forward and utilizing them, and you're still figuring out how to implement them. So I think there is a level of agility and curiosity to go exploring those tools. But I think alignment, it all comes back down to how does this align for us, is it the right thing to use and what's the value of this tool?

Speaker A: And I would add to that, how well do we know our people? Right. Because if we're deciding to implement this tool, but we don't know who our people are, what kind of accessibility they need, what's the diversity of our people, and then how can we serve them best with tools? I think another thing we're really missing right now is technology normalization. Right, Right. Especially in this hybrid work environment or mostly remote work environments, what are we expecting our people to do and how to use this technology? I know in my experience with corporate, the tech stack is massive. I've been with a company for years. I still have no idea what I'm supposed to use that tool for. So how are we creating that communication plan with our people and then evaluating based on who our people really are? As Corey said it really well. Instead of trying to compete with the next person or organization in the market, really figuring out what do you and your people need is going to set you up for much better success.

Speaker C: So let's move away in terms of the tech part, because I think whenever we think modern, we think it's the future in terms of machinery and what have you. But when it comes to HR professionals, we work with our employees. We're basically kind of like customer service. So what does that look like for in the future? What does, um, an HR professional relationship with their constituents, both in the C suite and those that are direct service.

Speaker A: I think we're in a really tricky position because we have five generations in the workforce right now, and that's growing. We also know that our youngest generations, we have fewer of them coming into the workforce. So we're in this really tricky position where the person at the top signing the checks, making the decision, is so far removed from that lived experience of our youngest people. And with these younger generations coming in, what they're expecting is mission. They're expecting compassion. They're expecting to be tied to something greater than just the organization or just the paycheck. So how we're addressing them is going to require more human skills, and they're going to really push back against this ideology of we're here to protect the organization. Well, what about me? That's going to be harder and harder to get through and to keep people in these roles. So it's a really tricky balance of how do we move out of the way it's always been and into the future, while also satisfying our key stakeholders who are still living in that reality. And I think so much of that comes from getting executives in these rooms, getting them the same access to what we are getting in HR to say, yeah, compassion and empathy are the future of how our businesses are going to run. And there's a business case for it. Right. It's not just the right thing to do. It's not this fluffy term anymore. There's real validity behind when we show up with those traits in our workplaces that we do better in business. So I think there's a lot on us as a society also to increase that education and expose these older generations to these ideas that it just wasn't how they were brought up in the system.

Speaker D: Yeah, times are changing. I think a lot of our role now is much more relationship driven. Right. And building connections with our employees. They're not just another number that, you know, nine digit employee number. HR is that bridge to connect the employees and what's going on in their world to the C suite who may be a little detached or hasn't been saved time in that world and maybe a little while. And the business has changed, right? The world has changed, the people have changed. So when you have leaders coming to market about, well, I got a workbook when I went through training and it's like, well, we're upgrading that to an iPad, right? Maybe we don't do workbooks anymore. So I think it's evolving and I think it's HR still having that courage to speak to power to drive that change as we continue to evolve and adapt. But I would go back to, I think real leadership still comes down to that human connection, engaging the individuals, right. Rarely do you build a, you know, inspire someone off of their love of compliance. That's usually not what motivates people. And I don't know about you all, but that's not why I got into human resources. Right. It's the people and keeping that people centered approach, not the protector of the organization. Right. And I do think that's a common mistake that a lot of individuals see is like, uh oh, HR is not there for me personally, I see it the whole other way, right. This large organization, they could falter and nothing really changes in the world. Right. But I'm, I guess my allegiance is to the people I serve, right? Going back to servant leadership and making sure they're getting what they need. The organization is going to be all right, especially if we take care of the people that we support.

Speaker A: And part of that responsibility is also knowing the business. Right. And I think that's such A missing piece for so many HR professionals is. It's not part of your job description. But if we can understand what's the ROI of investing in inclusivity. And it's there, the data's there. It's not that hard to find actually. Um, so how can we become more valuable as individual contributors in HR to get what the C suite gets right? Think how they think, how are they making decisions and then build out your case there, meet them where they're at, and you're way more likely to be successful with what you know to be is the right thing to do in the organization.

Speaker D: Sometimes we go almost, I think, to your point with our HR case and not the business case.

Speaker C: Mhm.

Speaker D: And executives don't necessarily want the HR HR case. They want to know how does, how is this applicable to the greater business. And if you can't speak that language, good luck influencing. Right. You need to be able to talk the talk. You better know what ROI even means before you throw it out there. Right. But, uh, that only adds value to our ability to serve the people we manage. Right. Uh, you know, having P and L responsibility. In my past, when employees come up and say we need to hire somebody, well, I can look at their P and L and go, you can't afford to hire somebody. Right. As opposed to them, you know, me having to go back to their supervisor and go, hey, I think they're short staffed and their manager goes, well, by the business metrics, we really can't do that. I know that. That adds a lot more credibility in the space for me.

Speaker A: And ROI is return on investment and P and L is profit and loss.

Speaker D: Thank you for anybody following along. Nice.

Speaker C: So when you talk about in terms of courage and all these things that HR professionals can do, there is that perception that we always have to try to run from. And it seems like it's hard to kind of shake the typical, the HR lady. You've seen movies like up in the Air, um, Office Christmas Party, uh, Toby from the Office, One of my all

Speaker A: time favorite fictional characters.

Speaker C: Yes. And so we have, um, all of these perceptions, uh, out there. And so how. I think part of modern HR is kind of like dispelling those perceptions. So what would be your advice to help HR professionals kind of shake those, uh, perceptions of what HR is? Because sometimes they even all they know you as is hr, they don't even know your name. So how do we kind of help with this?

Speaker A: I want to introduce a few concepts here that are related to neurodiversity, but they're masking, which means that when we're in an environment, we are trying to be something that we are inherently not. And that's a huge energy suck. And then the next term I want to share is compensation energy. And compensation energy is linked to masking because we're spending so much time and energy trying to be something that is not authentic to us instead of just doing the dang job. And that's happening all within our organizations, whether people identify as neurodivergent or not. So when you share that depiction of that, I need to be stern or I need to be completely neutral in every situation. Yeah, of course there's an appropriate level of how we show up, especially in hr. But start noticing where you're masking. Start noticing where that energy is going towards not feeling like you. And some of us live our whole lives masking and taking off that mask can feel really scary. And you might be asking, like, I've been doing it so long, I don't even know like, what to start paying attention to. The days when you're leaving work and you feel so exhausted and you don't know why, you probably were m masking all day in some capacity. So my advice is really to pay attention to your own personal energy. One of my kind of hot takes, uh, about leadership is that I think energy management is one of the most underrated skill sets that leaders need to have. How are you taking care of yourself every day? How are you showing up? So you are the same in every single room and that people know what to expect from you when they come to you. And that's all a you inside job. And it's the same for hr.

Speaker D: Yeah. I think you're talking about the stigma that comes with hr. Right. And, uh, it comes with leadership as well. Right. VP some of those titles. But HR in particular, I'm going to double down on that in the sense of authenticity. Right. Showing up as your true self. One, you are more engaged. The data just shows that. Right. You're happier. You are. The more engaged you are, the better you perform, the. The better the outcomes are for the organization. So if nothing else, there's just a business case for you to show up authentically. Beyond that, I think creating safe spaces for your people to show up authentically as well. Right. One of the things I'll tell people is, you know, if. If every morning they wake up and they feel like they have to put that mask on or that facade, Right. And go into this whole other mode of themselves before they could come into work that's performance. And when you're performing, you know, you're not being your true self. And that erodes trust. And when trust goes, engagement goes, it's quick to follow. Right? So I think the more our leaders are going out there not trying to be the buttoned up HR professional. And I'll. Candidly, I. I've battled that myself. Coming from a sales background, I transitioned over to hr. And that's not a traditional. Right switch. Exactly right. So I talk fast. I'm very direct. I love sarcasm. Most of the times those things you try to avoid in hr. So I had a level of imposter syndrome that prevented me for a while from being my best self. And it wasn't until after a while where I realized that's my differentiator showing up in my authentic self. And people loved having those more candid conversations than being the buttoned up HR guide. And it built relationships, it built trust. So when they have a problem, they don't look to be a silent walker and quit. They have an advocate they could pick up the phone call and talk to about it. And that's really what we're here for.

Speaker C: Uh, that's all we could ask for, is that people can see us in the light that we're there to help instead of, you know, being the principal at the, you know, the. In the office, in school. Um, but I really appreciate your input on. On this subject. But before we wrap up, we always ask this fun question of all of our guests. So we live in the age of the multiverse. Shout out to Marvel. So if you weren't in the space that you're in, in terms of your current roles in another universe, what would you be doing?

Speaker A: Ooh, I would be one of these nomads who's, like, omnipresent online when they want to be, and building out this life that just looks so fantastic. But Biowind would actually be fantastic. It wouldn't just look fantastic, but yeah, I'd be living on beaches around the world, going live on whatever platform to tell everybody about how great my life is and how they can do it too, is what I would like to be doing.

Speaker D: Right. That's. That's not a bad answer at all. Um, I could absolutely utilize that. I do. There's something about the nomad lifestyle. I see, like, small homes or van life, and I'm like, man, I think my OCD would really like that small van. Right.

Speaker A: If my husband would let me, I wouldn't be here today living in a tiny van.

Speaker D: Let me tell you with two kids. Now, let me be clear. I want to live in that van alone. All right, That's. They're throwing shit over. Yeah, that's a man van that I could take wherever I want. But, um, m. Candidly, I think one of the things I'd love to do, and there is a parallel here between, you know, being a speaker but stand up comedy. I can see that. I love making people laugh in just doing in a fun way and imparting knowledge and just by calling out some of the obvious stuff, which is really what we do a lot in our consulting work. Um, just in a little bit of a different venue. So, yeah, yeah, maybe that. Nomad life taking the van from comedy club to comedy club.

Speaker C: All right, well, until next time, Hope

Speaker B: that you've enjoyed this episode and got some key takeaways for yourself and your organizations. Please connect with us on social media with our handle Illy Sherm or by searching Philly Sherm to receive the latest information on our virtual and in person events and membership. Also, don't forget to follow us on your preferred podcast platform so you can be the first to know when future episodes drop. Thank you for joining us. This is HR Fresh.

Speaker C: Take.