HR Leaders

Each week I chat with CHROs and Chief People Officers from leading global brands who share their experience, insights, lessons learned and how they are shaping the future of work:

Host HR Leaders Podcast

HR Leaders is the world’s #1 online learning platform preparing HR Professionals for the ever-evolving future of work. Learn from world-class HR Executives and experts through live-streamed events, original content and an extensive video library. 

Now is the moment to reinvent the future of work. Let’s do it together.

CEO & Co-founder

atlas copilot

Co-Founder

The Leadership Network®

Responsibilities:
-	Managing a team of telesales executives becoming directly responsible for their performance
-	Accurately performing weekly pipeline forecasts
-	Conducting weekly sales training sessions for each member of my team ensuring their sales skills progress
-	Ensuring team and project KPI’s are realised and achieved on a daily basis
-	Hiring new sales executives, accurately sourcing CV’s, phone screening applicants and conducting interviews.
-	Training and developing new employees in all aspects of the sales process as well as accurately briefing them on our business sectors.

Head of Sales - Festivals

Worldwide Business Research

Delegate Sales Manager

Industry Dynamics

Responsibilities:
-	Managing a team of telesales executives becoming directly responsible for their performance
-	Accurately performing weekly pipeline forecasts
-	Conducting weekly sales training sessions for each member of my team ensuring their sales skills progress
-	Ensuring team and project KPI’s are realised and achieved on a daily basis
-	Hiring new Delegate Sales Executives, accurately sourcing CV’s, phone screening applicants and conducting interviews.
-	Training and developing new employees in all aspects of the sales process as well as accurately briefing them on our business sectors.
-       Developing our HR Summit Brands across Europe.

Head of Delegate Sales HR Summits

I’m a Co-founder and CEO of HR Leaders, a digital media platform preparing HR Professionals for the ever-evolving future of work.

HR Leaders’ extensive program of events include workshops, summits, panels and podcasts all focus on bringing HR professionals the latest industry news, developments, and best practice. From multi-day in-person conferences and private workshops to weekly live-streamed events, HR Leaders bring the industries the most up-to-date HR insights, backed by the worlds best experts and HR executives.

𝐇𝐑 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭   

I also host the worlds #1 HR Podcast where I chat with industry experts and HR executives from the world's leading global brands including Coca-Cola, Unilever, Walmart, Facebook, LinkedIn, Nike, McDonald’s and Microsoft.

𝐇𝐑 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 

https://hrleaders.co/hrleaderssummit
https://hrleaders.co/peopleanalyticssummit
https://hrleaders.co/futurework
https://hrleaders.co/rippl-wellbeing-summit

𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡

Please feel free to follow me here on LinkedIn

If you are an HR executive interested in joining HR Leaders events or being a guest on the HR Leaders Podcast. Please get in touch at chris@hrleaders.co

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, please contact hello@hrleaders.co.

I don't believe in dream jobs.

But here's what I do believe in:

I've spent 20 years in HR.

I've seen what makes organizations thrive.
And what makes them toxic.

I've seen both the best
and the worst sides of workplaces.


The worst workplaces:

❌ Drain you.
❌ Break trust.
❌ Kill creativity.
❌ Ignore feedback.
❌ Promote toxicity.
❌ Micromanage talent.
❌ Discourage growth.
❌ Create constant stress.
❌ Prioritize profits over people.
❌ Foster political game-playing.
❌ Make empty promises about change.

The best workplaces:

✅ Put people before profits.
✅ Practice real inclusion.
✅ Promote transparency.
✅ Welcome feedback.
✅ Encourage growth.
✅ Celebrate success.
✅ Offer flexibility.
✅ Value diversity.
✅ Show respect.
✅ Trust you.
✅ Listen.

Here's the uncomfortable truth:
Your workplace culture isn't just about ping pong tables 
and casual Fridays.

It's about dignity. 
Respect. 
Growth.

If your leadership team isn't creating this environment, 
they're not just failing their people...
They're failing their business.

The future belongs to companies that understand this.
The rest will become case studies in what not to do.

💬 Agree or Disagree?
Drop your thoughts below!


👇 Tag that person who makes your workplace a better place.
Show them you appreciate the difference they make every day.


♻️ Share this to help your network.
And follow Christopher Rainey for more.

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Join 120,000+ HR professionals who receive weekly tips via email and social:
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Kudos to Mike Leber for inspiration.

Christopher Rainey

Follow for posts about HR, AI & the future of work. Host HR Leaders Podcast (100M+ Views) Founder, HR Leaders/atlas Copilot

Most companies lie about their culture.

I've seen it firsthand.

The awards, the values, the perks.

All just for show.


You know what defines culture? 

When you mess up big time and that coworker you were sure would throw you under the bus doesn't.

It's that boss who credits you in a room of higher-ups.


I left the "best place to work" because I saw:

↳ Senior leaders tearing down junior staff
↳ High performers backstabbing each other
↳ HR sweeping toxic behavior under the rug to protect sales


Stop being fooled. 

Culture isn't catchy slogans, 
ping pong tables, 
or free lunches.


It's what goes on behind closed doors.

And if you're in charge and think turning a blind eye is okay...


If you let 'rainmakers' play by different rules...

You're the problem.


Strong cultures aren’t built with policies and HR initiatives from a fancy consulting firm.

They’re built by leaders who:

↳ Call out toxic behavior
↳ Reward collaboration
↳ Choose integrity over short-term gains


I've seen incredible companies fall apart at the seams because their leaders ignored a toxic culture until it was too late.


Don't let yours be one of them.


P.S. What’s the most toxic workplace behavior you've seen?


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Image Credit: Simon Sinek

Your boss shapes your career more than your job does. 

(Most managers get it wrong)

Most bosses manage.
Great leaders make you better.

Your boss shapes your career more than your job does.

Some push you forward.
Others hold you back.


Here’s how you know the difference:

➟ A toxic boss makes you question yourself.
➟ A selfish boss limits your growth.
➟ A weak boss avoids hard conversations.


But the best leaders?

➟ They challenge you when you doubt yourself.
➟ They open doors, not just approve tasks.
➟ They protect you from the noise so you can focus.


A great leader doesn’t just want results.
They want you to succeed.


Because leadership isn’t about power.
It’s about impact.


Who’s had your back in your career?
Tag them below.


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Image Credit: Adam Grant

"We measure results, not hours." - Google

Sounds great. But here’s the truth:

Most companies say this.
Few actually mean it.


If you still track:

⛔ Online status.
⛔ Hours worked.
⛔ “Time at desk” metrics.


Then you don’t measure results.
You measure control.


5 Reasons Why Results Beat Hours Every Single Time

1️⃣ More hours ≠ More productivity
↳ 60-hour weeks lead to burnout, not better work.

2️⃣ Impact matters more than effort
↳ The best employees find smarter ways to get things done.

3️⃣ Creativity doesn’t run on a clock
↳ Innovation happens when people work at their best, not when they “should.”

4️⃣ Autonomy fuels engagement
↳ People perform better when they’re trusted, not monitored.

5️⃣ Great work speaks for itself
↳ No one asks how many hours it took to build something brilliant.


You don’t need longer hours.
You need smarter work.

The companies that focus on results, not time, will win.

The ones obsessed with control?
They’ll keep losing their best people.

💬 Agree or disagree?
Comment below!

♻️ Tag a leader who understands this.


♻️ Repost this if you believe performance > hours.
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Image Credit: Lukas Stangl

Judging is easy.

(Here’s the truth most people ignore)

You never regret being kind.
But you might regret the moment you weren’t.

Because most of what people are going through is invisible to you.


The coworker who seems distant?
↳ Might be battling something you can’t see.

The friend who hasn’t reached out?
↳ Might be drowning in their own struggles.

The stranger who was rude to you?
↳ Might be holding it together by a thread.


Most of what people are dealing with is invisible to you.
And yet, too many are quick to judge, assume, or criticize.


So how do you lead with more kindness?

1. Give people the benefit of the doubt 
→ Not everything is about you.

2. Choose empathy over assumptions 
→ You never know what’s beneath the surface.

3. Small kindnesses go further than you think 
→ A simple check-in can change someone's day.

4. Be slow to judge 
→ Everyone is fighting a battle you don’t see.

5. Lead with compassion 
→ It costs nothing but can mean everything.


You never regret being kind.
But you might regret the moment you weren’t.

💬 Agree or Disagree?
Drop your thoughts below!

Kudos to Daniel Abrahams for this beautiful artwork.


♻️ Repost to remind your network why kindness matters.
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Join 120,000+ HR professionals who receive weekly tips via email and social:
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Knowing everything won’t get you far.

That’s the part no one tells you:

Being smart isn’t enough. 
If you’re difficult to work with, no one cares.

But no one talks about that.


People think success comes from:

• Having all the answers
• Always being right
• Never backing down


Reality?
The best leaders ask more than they tell.


The smartest people:

• Stay teachable
• Admit when they’re wrong
• Learn from everyone around them


How to become the person people want to work with:

1/ Listen more than you speak. 
↳ Ask questions instead of proving a point

2/ Be open to feedback. 
↳ It’s not an attack, it’s an opportunity

3/ Admit when you're wrong. 
↳ Confidence isn’t about being right. It’s about learning fast

4/ Give credit freely. 
↳ The best teams thrive on shared wins, not solo egos

5/ Stay teachable. 
↳ The fastest learners always outrun the know-it-alls


Ego kills growth.
Curiosity fuels it.

The smartest person in the room?
They’re the one asking the best questions.

💬 Agree or disagree?
Comment below!


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Without great people, even the best ideas go nowhere.

Here’s what no one tells you:

You can brainstorm the most brilliant strategy.
But if you don’t have the right team behind it,
it stays on paper.

I've seen it over and over. 
Companies chasing innovation like it's a magic bullet.

➟ They spend millions on R&D.
➟ They hire the best consultants.
➟ They build innovation labs.

But they forget one thing:

The best idea in the world won't succeed
without the right people to execute it.


I learned this the hard way. 
I've built teams. 
I've launched products.

And here's what I've found:
Great execution beats great ideas every time.


Here's what matters more than ideas:

1. Find people with raw potential.
2. Give them room to grow.
3. Support them when they fail.
4. Invest in their development.
5. Trust their judgment.
6. Reward their courage.


Leadership isn’t about ideas alone.
It’s about the people who bring those ideas to life.

They won’t remember your bulletproof strategy.
They’ll remember how you empowered them to execute it.

Great leaders build people, not just products.
And that’s what stands the test of time.


💬 Who’s that one person who has your back at work?
Tag them below and show some love.


♻️ Share this to help your network.
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Kudos to Simon Sinek for this amazing quote.

Success isn’t luck.

It’s survival.

Most people give up after one setback.
One rejection.
One failure.

The ones who win? 
They’ve failed hundreds of times. 
But they show up again.

They weren’t "born talented."
They weren’t "given an opportunity."

They earned it, through every mistake, 
every loss, 
every painful lesson.


So, how do you build the same resilience?

1️⃣ Detach from failure 
→ It’s a lesson, not a label.
2️⃣ Take more shots 
→ If you try 100 times, you’ll get “lucky” once.
3️⃣ Expect setbacks 
→ Every success story is built on failures.
4️⃣ Reframe rejection 
→ The best in the world hear “no” more than anyone else.
5️⃣ Keep showing up 
→ Because most people won’t.


No one is coming to hand you success.
No shortcut will save you from the work.
No amount of talent beats the person who refuses to quit.

So ask yourself:

Are you willing to fail more than anyone else?

Or will you sit back and call others “lucky”?

💬 Agree or Disagree?
Comment below!


♻️ Repost this if you believe resilience beats luck.
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For the First Time in a Decade…


We're taking the HR Leaders Podcast on the road. First stop? The Big Apple! To visit our friends at Gloat LIVE on March 10-12th.

Where the brightest minds in HR will be coming together to explore the transformation of work, the workforce, and the workplace of the future.

Attendees and speakers include:

↳ Josh Bersin, Global Industry Analyst
↳Ben Reuveni, CEO & Co - Founder, Gloat
↳ Patricia Frost, Chief People and Places Officer, Seagate
↳ Federico Cohen Freue, SVP of AI, Mastercard
↳ Susan Podlogar, Former CHRO, MetLife
↳ Amy Goldfinger, Former SVP Global Talent, Walmart
↳ Johanna Bolin Tingvall, Global Head of L&D, Talent Growth, Spotify
↳ Lucrecia Borgonovo, Chief Talent and Organizational Effectiveness Officer, Mastercard
↳ Santhana Sankaramurthy, Director, Modern Work & Partner Incubation, Microsoft
↳ Kathryn van der Merwe, People, Culture and Communications Group Executive, Telstra
↳ Femmie Schippers, Head of HR Business Technology, Takeda
↳ Eliana Barbiero, Head of Learning US & Americas, HSBC
↳ Watson Stewart, Global Head of Talent, Standard Chartered

🔴 This is an invitation only event.
🔗 Click here to apply to attend: https://lnkd.in/e5_-xys5

NYC, see you next week! 🚀

♻️ Tag an HR leader who needs to be in this room.
And repost this to help your network.

Wellbeing is now a talent strategy. 

91% of employees stay or leave based on:

91% of employees say workplace wellbeing impacts their decision to stay or leave.

But most companies still don’t get it.

↳ They call it an HR initiative.
↳ They throw in some wellness apps.
↳ They offer PTO, but make people feel guilty for taking it.

Then they wonder why burnout is skyrocketing.


On the latest episode of the Work Life Wellness Series, I sat down with Marni McDowell, PhD, Senior Director of Global Wellbeing & Experience at Micron Technology, to break down why wellbeing is now a core part of talent strategy, and what leaders must do to make it work.

Key Takeaways:

📌 Wellbeing Is a Business Strategy, Not an Initiative
→ Companies that embed wellbeing into work see higher engagement & retention.

💡 Prevention Is More Effective Than Reaction
→ The best companies address burnout before it happens, not after.

⚙️ Leadership Drives Employee Wellbeing
→ A bad boss does more damage than a heavy workload, leaders must model self-care.

🚀 Wellbeing & Performance Go Hand-in-Hand
→ High-performance cultures don’t burn people out, they support them to do their best work.


The companies that get this?
They build high-performance cultures.

The ones that don’t?
❌ Burnout skyrockets
❌ Morale tanks
❌ Turnover explodes

If wellbeing isn’t a business strategy, 
you’re already losing talent.


💬 Agree or disagree?
Comment below!

♻️ Repost this if you agree.
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85% of workers believe their employer has a responsibility to help them tend to their wellbeing. Episode #7 – Marni McDowell, Senior Director, Global 

Open article: What HR Needs to Know About Workplace Wellbeing in 2025 by Christopher Rainey • 2 min read

What HR Needs to Know About Workplace Wellbeing in 2025

Most companies are failing at leadership.

Here’s what they are getting wrong:

They promote the wrong people.
They ignore power skills.
They fear AI instead of using it.

Then they wonder why trust, engagement, 
and retention are dropping.

Leadership isn’t a “nice-to-have.”
It’s the #1 HR priority for 2025.

Here’s what companies are getting wrong:

↳ They promote based on tenure, not ability.
↳ They overlook adaptability and emotional intelligence.
↳ They see AI as a threat, not a tool.


What great companies do instead?


On the latest episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring discussion with DJ Campbell, CHRO at Sanford Health, to talk about how leadership must evolve to keep up with workforce transformation.

📌 Key Takeaways:

📌 Leadership Development is Now a Business Priority
→ The best companies invest in leaders who drive retention, engagement, and innovation.

💡 AI is a Tool, Not a Threat
→ Leaders must position AI as a colleague that enhances efficiency, not a replacement.

⚙️ Employee Experience Drives Retention
→ Employees demand transparency, flexibility, and real support, HR must listen and adapt.

🚀 Power Skills Are the Future of Leadership
→ Emotional intelligence, adaptability, and curiosity separate great leaders from the rest


The companies that get this?
They build high-performing, resilient teams.

The ones that don’t?
❌ Employee trust crumbles.
❌ Engagement plummets.
❌ Retention becomes a nightmare.

If leadership development isn’t your top priority,
you’re already falling behind.

💬 Agree or disagree? 
Comment below!


♻️ Repost if you believe leadership must evolve.
And follow Christopher Rainey for more.


👇 Watch the episode below

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube | Apple | Spotify In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with DJ Campbell, MBA, SHRM-SCP, Chi

Open article: Why Leadership Development is the #1 HR Priority for 2025 by Christopher Rainey • 3 min read

Why Leadership Development is the #1 HR Priority for 2025

AI is taking over hiring.

Here's everything you need to know in 2025:

Resumes?
Job boards?
Manual screenings?

All becoming obsolete.

By 2025, hiring won’t look the same.

Here’s what’s coming:


On the latest episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, I sat down with Jonathan F. Kestenbaum, Managing Director of Technology Strategy at AMS, to talk about the future of hiring, AI’s impact on HR, and why skills, not resumes, will define workforce success.

Here’s what you need to know:

📌 AI will control the hiring process.
↳ It will screen, assess, and match candidates faster than ever

💡 AI agents will replace HR admin work.
↳ Scheduling, job matching, candidate engagement, automated

⚙️ Skills will matter more than job titles.
↳ Companies will hire based on capabilities, not resumes

🚀 Performance will dictate pay.
↳ HR software will shift to outcome-based pricing models


The best companies will adapt fast.
The rest? They’ll get left behind.

Because AI won’t just change how companies hire.
It will change who gets hired.

Companies that stick to outdated hiring methods?
They’ll lose the best talent before they even realize.

The ones that evolve?
They’ll build stronger teams, faster, and smarter than ever.

💬 Agree or disagree?
Comment below!


♻️ Tag a leader who needs to hear this.
And follow Christopher Rainey for more.

🔗 Watch the full episode here ⬇️

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube | Apple | Spotify In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we sit down with Jonathan F. Kestenbaum, Managin

Open article: How AI is Changing Hiring in 2025 by Christopher Rainey • 3 min read

Comfort is the biggest threat to growth.

Here's what no one tells you:

You want to lead an unstoppable team?
You have to get uncomfortable.

But most workplaces cling to safety: 

➟ They dismiss new ideas. 
➟ They fear mistakes. 
➟ They prioritize routine over innovation.

You want agile, future-proof teams? 
You need a culture that embraces challenge.

5 innovation principles:

1. Challenge beats comfort
↳ Comfort keeps you stuck.

2. Questions trump answers
↳ Stop questioning and you stop leading.

3. Speed defeats perfection
↳ A good solution today beats a perfect one tomorrow.

4. Embrace failure
↳ Setbacks are opportunities.

5. HR leads transformation
↳ Your people team drives your innovation.


In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, Ian Wilson, VP of HR at Amazon, breaks down the leadership principles that drive Amazon’s success, and how HR can apply them to build high-performing, resilient teams.

📌 Fast Decision-Making Wins
→ Why speed and adaptability are the foundation of Amazon’s leadership model.

💡 No ‘Random Acts of HR’
→ HR must stop chasing trends and focus on solving real business problems.

⚡ Psychological Safety & Execution
→ How creating a fail-forward culture leads to innovation and trust.

🏆 Building a High-Performance Culture
→ Amazon’s approach to accountability, ownership, and leadership development.


Remember:
Safe decisions protect your job today.
Bold decisions secure your legacy tomorrow.

The best leaders don't just manage processes.
They unleash potential.

Your team won't remember your procedures.
They'll remember how you helped them grow.

💬 Agree or Disagree?
Drop your thoughts below!

👉 Watch the full episode below!


♻️ Repost if you agree.
And follow Christopher Rainey for more.

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube | Apple | Spotify In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we welcome Ian Wilson, VP of HR at Amazon, to di

Open article: How Amazon Builds High-Performing Teams by Christopher Rainey • 3 min read

Most companies are stuck in outdated hiring.

Let me be honest with you:

They post ads.
They sift through piles of resumes.
They scramble for talent.
They cling to old HR methods.

How do I know?

I used to chase traditional recruitment.
"Fill the position" was my battle cry.

But that doesn't work.

Here's what changed:

I focused on ONE thing that transformed our hiring process.

Not ten strategies.
Not five strategies.
ONE strategy.

And something incredible happened...

The more I committed, the less old-school tactics mattered.

Those endless job boards?
Those generic resumes?
Those tedious interviews?

They stopped being important.


In the latest HR Leaders Podcast, I had an inspiring discussion with Jean Pelletier, VP of Digital Talent Transformation and Global Talent Acquisition at Schneider Electric, about how AI is reshaping talent mobility, workforce planning, and career development.

In this episode, Jean discusses:

📌 AI is Changing Talent Retention
→ AI-driven marketplaces help employees find internal opportunities, reducing turnover

💡 HR Must Be Data-Driven
→ AI insights enable smarter workforce decisions, replacing guesswork

⚙️ Fixing Broken Internal Hiring
→ AI removes barriers, making career growth more accessible

🚀 Skills Over Job Titles
→ Prioritizing skills creates agile, future-ready organizations


Because here's the hard truth:

People may forget your old recruitment methods.
They’ll remember how you transformed talent.

Great leaders build people, not just fill positions.
And that legacy lasts forever.

💬 Agree or Disagree?
Drop your thoughts below!


♻️ Repost if you agree.
And follow Christopher Rainey for more.

Know a great leader?
👇 Tag them below and show you appreciate them!

🎧 Listen to the full episode on YouTube | Apple | Spotify In this episode of the HR Leaders Podcast, we welcome Jean Pelletier, VP, Digital Talent Tr

Open article: How to Build a Talent Marketplace in 2025 by Christopher Rainey • 2 min read

How to Build a Talent Marketplace in 2025

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